


The Libra (Eric Derekson and the Se̡̛͠p͡ţ͠į͜͡c̸̢ Egos G/T)

by PlatonicSeptiplier



Series: Sides Stories [3]
Category: Video Blogging Alter Egos, Video Blogging RPF, giant/tiny - Fandom
Genre: AU, Alter Egos, Alternate Universe, Anti no put the knife down, A̧r̴e̵ y̢͞ou̴ ̸͏w̕͢atc̶̨h̴in͠͏g̡?, Chase pretty much adopts Eric, Eric Derekson must be protected, Eric is a precious cinnamon roll, G/T, Gen, Giant/Tiny, Markiplier egos - Freeform, Probably fluff and angst, Septic egos - Freeform, a wholesome septic family, good job Anti you haven't killed anyone, platonic, protect Eric Derekson, secluded characters, totally not canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-05
Updated: 2019-09-20
Packaged: 2020-04-08 07:16:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 21,580
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19102309
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PlatonicSeptiplier/pseuds/PlatonicSeptiplier
Summary: With just himself and his dad on the road of poverty, life had not been the kindest to Eric Derekson. With all fifteen of his brothers and his mother gone, a drunken and desperate father prone to abusive habits, and nothing but a rickety trailer to call home, things hadn't been easy. But with news of a town's hottest lore about a man-eating beast lurking in the woods, Derek Derekson was quick to drag his son into the heart of its territory so they could catch it on camera and escape the never-ending cycle of poverty.What Eric didn't expect, though, was just how much that fateful night would change his life.A non-canonical collection of random blurbs and fluff shots made by a clueless dude on medical drugs, so enjoy :PTotally, completely not canonCollection of Short Stories that take place in this non-canon AUContains Action, Swearing and Peril. And fluff.





	1. Setting the Mood (A/N)

Living with a giant is not the easiest thing to do. Living with seven secluded giants without getting squashed is a miraculous feat. 

Meet Eric Derekson, a young and skittish man who ended up under the wings of seven bizarre but friendly-- in their own ways-- giants: Chase Brody, Jackie, Jameson Jackson, Henrik Von Schneeplestein, Robbie, Marvin (the Magnificent), and Anti. Each have their own faults and grudges, but somehow they ended up united to protect the precious cinnamon bun of a hooman.

The following is a collection of stories taking place in this universe. It is non-canon and written by someone under the influence of medically prescripted drugs, so continue with an open mind and enjoy!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> P l e a s e s t a n d b y f o r f u t u r e u p d a t e s . . .


	2. How Did We Get Here (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Do you have 90 minutes?

Eric didn't like it. He didn't like anything that was going on around him. It was so noisy with all of these people around, talking and laughing-- maybe about how out of place he was, but then again he doubted they'd waste their breaths on him-- and the stench of alcohol made it even harder to breathe than it already was. It took all of his effort just to keep upright, let alone pay attention to the conversation that his dad was having.

"So come on, tell me!" Derek laughed, slapping the man on the back whom he'd met barely ten minutes ago, "Give me some juicy gossip! Anything good around here?"

"Well, since you're new to town, I guess you wouldn't know about the... Monster, then?" Eric's breath hitched in his throat, and his hands wrung his handkerchief more tightly.

"Monster?" Derek huffed, "Is that the beer kicking in, or are you serious?"

"Oh, I'm serious all right." The man leaned forward with a grave look twinkling behind his sunglasses. "See, the story around here pal says that a man-eatin' beast haunts the forest next to town at night. I dunno who done started the rumor, but some guy-- Jim, Jerry, something like that-- apparently swore that he saw it: supposedly it came at him with hungry green eyes, and huge chompers with saliva coming off the fangs, and it took a swipe at him with these huge black claws. Still don't know which local is was, but everybody 'round here claims that he escaped with a gash on him the size of... Well, the size of an arm, I guess. Ran from deltoid to across the chest." Eric let out a peep of horror and swooned, wringing the yellow cloth between his fingers so tightly the circulation was cutting off. He quivered under the glare that Derek shot over his shoulder, ineffectively shutting him up.

"And this beast," Derek asked, turning back to the fellow tourist, "What type of man-eating beast is it?" The man laughed nervously.

"Who the hell knows? It made press news with all those conspiratorial reporters in the area, but hell if I know what's really going on. Probably just a rabid coyote." He nodded to the perspiring young Eric. "Best keep your boy away from those trees, all the same." Derek scowled.

"I know what's best for my son." He took his shot glass and downed the serving, slamming it back down onto the counter. Eric flinched, clutching his plain foulard as Derek fished his pocket for a thin and worn wallet. He tossed a bill on the counter, said his noisy goodbyes to his drinking buddy, and then he jerked his head at Eric for him to follow. Eric flashed the tourist a nervous smile-- receiving a tip of the ten-gallon hat in acknowledgement-- before hurrying after his father, who struggled to open the door for a few seconds before he finally managed to stagger out of the building. Eric hovered a few feet behind, close but not too close in case Derek tripped or did something else.

"D-D-Da-dad?" Eric asked timidly as they came out into the dark parking lot. "I-is-is-is it-do-do you think that-th-that- well, uh, m-maybe--?"

"Spit it out, boy," Derek snapped. "What?" Eric recoiled at his harsh tone and struggled to form a sentence.

"U-u-um, I-I-I uh, I-I meant, u-um, d-do you-do you think tha-that there's m-m-monsters in th-the-the-the w-woods?" He stuttered out, patting his forehead with the cloth before clutching it to his chest. Derek turned around, stopping the poor boy dead in his tracks.

"I hope so," he sneered as his words slurred, "If we catch this thing on camera, then it'll be the opportunity of a lifetime! We'll be famous, get job offers, and then we'll be out of that stupid trailer in no time! And maybe it'll scare you back to your senses... As if you had any to begin with." With those last growled words, the man spun around in a lopsided circle and continued on his way, still not walking completely straight as he headed toward an old run down trailer.

Eric bit his quivering lip. "O-oh...!" He hurried after the drunken man, getting the door for him when he was barked at to do so, and Derek hauled his buzzed ass up the metal stairs without so much as a word of gratitude. Eric glanced nervously back at the bright and loud bar, looking over at the setting sun as he pat his shimmering forehead once more, and then he pulled himself up into the dark trailer and quietly closed the door behind him.

It was small, dirty and untidy. Derek collapsed on the only bed and started snoring within seconds, leaving Eric to fumble with his handkerchief for a helpless moment. He glanced about the dark interior before going to the couch, which was small and groaned a lot under his light weight. He curled up with no blanket, only his piece of cloth as a comfort object and a cold little window to stare out at. The bleeding sun was already gone behind the trees and distant buildings, making him shudder as he recalled the drinking man's scary words. Was there really a monster out there? What if it came out of the forest? What if it attacked their trailer? A cold chill ran down his spine, and Eric hid his face in the couch's scratchy armrest. He lay there for a few minutes before reaching down and unbuckling his prosthetic feet, setting them down beside the couch for easy access as he tucked his sore knees back.

He missed home. He missed the warehouse, before that hurricane came and swept everything all up. He missed his family- not that he didn't want his dad, no no no, Derek was great, but he just missed his brothers... And his dog... And his girlfriend... And his mom...

Eric's frown creased deeper as he closed his eyes, tucking his knees a little more tightly against his chest. "I know," He mumbled, "I-I know, I'm a-I'm a failure. A-a disappointment. I just wish dad could be h-happy again..." He lapsed into a silence, tears leaking from his eyes. His lips curled back as he twitched with a stifled sob, and the sunset left him to drown in the darkness of his past.

 

 

 

Eric! Wake up boy!" Eric jolted awake with adrenaline in his veins. He was gasping for breath from the latest nightmare he had just experienced, when his cheek was again slapped rather roughly. "Come on boy, we don't got all night!" Eric staggered up into a sit and rubbed his eyes.

"Wh-what- what is it, dad?" He asked fearfully. He could see the pitch black night sky outside: Derek's eyes were bright but still fuzzy from the alcohol, although he looked determined about something.

"We're going monster hunting!" Derek replied in a matter-of-fact tone. Eric's eyes bulged as he sharply inhaled.

"M-m-m-m-monster h-h-monster hunting!?" He squeaked. Derek rolled his eyes.

"Of course! The woods aren't that far off from the bar, so why not tonight? The sooner we give it the old college try, the sooner I can land us a job and get out of this dump." Poor Eric was shaking like a leaf.

"B-b-bu-but--!"

"Oh come on now! Relax!" Derek loomed closer with a forced grin. "I bet your brother Merik wouldn't be passing up an opportunity like this!" Eric dryly swallowed.

"I-I-I'm not," he pleaded, "I-I just- wh-what if it comes after us? It-it could hurt you!" Derek leaned back with a smirk as he turned on the flashlight in his hands.

"I can handle it. Whatever it is, it ain't gonna be having me for breakfast! Now come on. And bring the camera, make sure it still works." With shaking hands, Eric grabbed his prosthetics and reconnected them, and then he grabbed the old camera under the couch. It was high-quality but old, and when Eric managed to get it on he saw that only two bars of battery remained. He gulped and lifted the camera up.

"I-I got it," he said with a weak smile.

"Good, now come on." Following his dad out of the trailer, Eric was directed to turn on the night vision mode and press the record button.

"Th-this isn't live, r-right?" He asked nervously, "I-I mean, you can- you'll be able to edit it, r-right dad?"

"Yes, I can take out all of your stupid mistakes you'll make."

"Oh. O-okay, good, h-heh." They walked on along a path that led toward the natural reserve. Eric could barely hold the camera straight, so nervous that he could already feel a familiar gagging sensation coming, but he tried to stifle it as his father rambled on.

"Now, it's a big forest, lots of ground to cover, but we'll start by going right across it. Ed said it comes out at night, so with luck we'll catch this beast on camera and have ourselves a solid offer in marketing, finally."

"H-he-he also said--"

"Don't interrupt me while I'm talking."

"S-s-sorry, sorry dad."

"Now, as I was saying..." The pavement of the road faded to a dirt trail. Eric spied a wooden post with a sign that announced their entrance into the borders of the piece of wild land. He blanched and favored lowering the camera to dab nervously at the sweat that was already drenching his brow. "Keep that camera up! I don't keep you around for nothing!" Once Eric had corrected himself, Derek continued. "And yes, he did mention that it might be man-hungry, but the bloodthirstier the better! This will make great news and get everybody's attention, all we gotta do is just look around until we find whatever this legendary beast is, and then we'll totally score a job!"

Eric whimpered. "Dad... I-I... I'm really scared. I-I mean, m-more than usual. I-I-I totally don't wanna die, I-I..." Derek looked back at his son with surprising softness.

"It's gonna be okay," he murmured, "We're gonna succeed, okay? I just gotta get a job, and then we can move out of the trailer, into a real home. Maybe even live happily again."

"R-really?" Eric asked hopefully. His spirits lifted at the idea of living somewhere, with his dad finally not so angry all the time and working, and maybe himself finally not being so useless... And maybe living on a farm...!

"Of course, you gotta hold that camera right, okay?" Derek encouraged. "If you don't catch it on footage, then we'll never get to live in a real house again." Eric brightened up with a timid smile.

"I-I won't let you down!" He gripped the camera more tightly, wishing that he would for at least once in his life stop shaking so much. His dad was counting on him to get the scoop they needed. Derek would take care of the rest, all he needed to do was to--

"Wait." Derek suddenly put his arm out. Eric halted, looking around through the camera while his dad frowned at the trees around them. They loomed menacingly with twisted branches and warped roots, making Eric flinch as a soft wind rustled the leaves. It was so quiet.

"Do you hear that?" Derek muttered. Eric glanced nervously at the yawning darkness.

"No," he breathed. "N-no, I-I don't, I-I'm sorr--" Derek suddenly slapped his hand over Eric's mouth with a harsh shush. Eric froze and tried to listen. It was dead quiet for all he could tell, but as he listened he realized he could feel something: a vibration, or soft rumbling. A string of them, rhythmics quakes faintly stirring the ground.

"In the bushes." Derek whirled around and pushed Eric toward the nearest brush. Eric stumbled into the sharp brambles with no choice, wincing as they tugged on his clothes and scratched his skin. He hunkered down and saw his dad hurry behind a tight clutch of trees, but then he gestured at Eric urgently. Eric nodded and hesitantly turned the camera around, looking for the source of the rumbles. They were getting louder, now shaking the earth with repeating booms. Trees creaked, and silent birds suddenly squawked and took flight. Eric flinched with each thunder, the camera clacking moreso from his own shaking limbs than whatever big monster was coming.

It felt like forever before the trees up ahead suddenly shuddered and creaked as they were pushed aside to make way for some huge bipedal silhouette that blended with the night. There was heavy breathing as the cold air was huffed, and with each step the world shook. Eric's eyes were super wide behind his glasses, and he shook even harder as the monster turned its head. Piercing green eyes glittered in the darkness, studying the surrounding woods before it tilted its head back and tasted the air with a flick of a horridly purple forked tongue.

Eric heard Derek take a breath, and he looked to see his father waving the flashlight around. He felt his heart race even faster, but he was too afraid to call out to his dad. He heard the monster growl and looked to see that its floating eyes had locked on to the beam of light that was wildly flashing against the void. It rumbled and stepped closer, and Eric squinted when the light settled on him.

"D-d-dad--?" He started to ask, but before he could get another word out, the monster suddenly let out a deafening roar and hurtled forward. Eric let out a strained scream and ducked down, bracing himself, but instead he heard Derek yell. He looked up as the light dropped, and the huge figure passed by with a woosh, knocking him over on his butt. "Dad!?" He cried out. He could hear the man screaming, but it was getting faint. The monster must have spotted him! "Dad!" He yelled desperately. But the stomps faded too, and he was left alone in the darkness. He stayed there for a few seconds, too paralyzed with fear. His dad was gone. Had he been left behind? ... Abandoned?

No! He scolded himself. No, he didn't leave you, he'll- he'll come back for you. He just- he must have had to run because the monster spotted him. He didn't want it to hurt me, that's it!

So he waited. And waited. And waited.

He waited for what felt like a long time, ignoring the cold that was seeping into his skin and forming goosebumps, or the ache of his artificial feet as he remained awkwardly crouched in the scratchy bush. It was a lot scratchier than the couch. And colder than the trailer.

He was starting to worry again, wondering what happened to Derek. He'll be okay. I'm sure he's okay. Dad's gonna be back soon. Any minute now. But after a little more waiting, Eric started to feel more frantic. What if it caught him? Oh no, what if- what if it hurt him? What if he's...? Eric whimpered. His vision was going funny again, all watery like it did everytime he cried. No, I can't cry, I can't cry! He set the camera on his thigh and slapped himself. "Come on, come on, you can do this!" He muttered desperately, "You can do this, you can make it, he's fine, he must be! He's a Derekson, he can- he-he'll- he'll come back, he always does...!" His breath came in fast little breaths, and he moaned fearfully as he clutched his yellow cloth in tight fists against his clavicle. He rocked on the balls of his artificial feet, trying to calm himself down-- and failing.

"You-you have a lot to-to live up for, r-remember what dad always said, r-remember-remember, he-he always s-said to-he-he always said t-to 'Stop f-fucking whining and-and just do it,' s-so, so- I-I can do this, I-I can do this, I-I can just wait, it-it's not that hard, h-he'll-- oww!" The camera had slid off his knee, and in a desperate effort to catch it Eric had shoved his hand straight into the brambles. "Owww, owwie! Owh...!" The tears let loose as he sobbed and cradled his hand, crying into the dark ominous woods. "Oh that hurt, that-that hurt," he whimpered, "That really hurt...!" Then he tried to grab for the camera. "Wh-where'd it go? Ohh, dad'll kill me if I lose it...! Can't even hold a camera, let alone get in front of one. I'm so useless...!" He tried to avoid the spikes vainly before his hand finally closed on metal, and he gasped with relief and picked it up to see the little bright screen. There was a crack in it now, but he'd found it! He let out a shaky sigh, holding it caringly as he hugged it with all his might, continuing to mutter to himself between shaky breaths.

"It's okay, it-it's-it's gonna be okay...!" He slowly stopped crying, and within a few minutes he suddenly looked up. What if dad's waiting for me at the edge of the forest? Maybe we're suppose to meet up back at the trailer! His breath hitched with a relieved sigh. Maybe he's okay! I just gotta find my way back! With newfound strength, Eric got up and used the camera to look through the hazy darkness. It put chills down his spine, but he tried to put on a brave face as he used the one hand to hold the camera, and the other to hold his handkerchief to himself as he climbed clumsily out of the bushes. He muttered a few "ow, ow"s before he finally came free, and the first thing he saw was one of the dents in the forest floor in front of him: a massive, human footprint. His bravery immediately wavered, but he started following the impressions despite every atom in his body screaming to bury himself in a hole to hide in until his dad got him.

No, I need to do this. I have to do this. If I can't do this one thing for dad, then I'm completely useless. He took a shaky breath, his grip on that cloth becoming a little tighter. "I-I can-I can do this!" He told the forest.

 


	3. How Did We Get Here (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Turns out legends aren't completely accurate. While it may have told of one monster... There appears to have been a miscalculation in the head count. And are they all bloodthirsty like the one Eric narrowly escaped? Or perhaps there's more to it than it seems...

"I can't do this," Eric sighed miserably. "I-I can't, I just can't." Not even a few minutes had passed before the sky decided to start pouring rain, leaving the man with blurred spectacles, and completely cold and numb to the core. At some point or another he lost the trail, but he was too cold to even realize as he shivered his way through a different direction. He couldn't even feel his prosthetics anymore, just stumbling through the wild like a starstruck lamb.

When he did finally make progress, it was by entering a large meadow that he didn't recognize at all. The paths were nowhere to be found, and he couldn't see any buildings with the trees and clouds in the way. Eric shivered and tried to wipe the water off his glasses, but it only made his vision worse. He shambled onward, with no other choice but to keep his legs mechanically chugging along, hunching against the rain as he looked through the camera. Only one bar left. He didn't have much longer before--

His artificial foot hit a rock. He tripped and fell forward with a yelp, and he hit the ground rolling. He tumbled down the slight slope and through the earthy soup, gravity pulling him to the lowest point of the open space until he collided into a wall that halted his fall. Dizzy, Eric rolled over on his stomach and swayed, squinting for the camera's faint glow in the wet grass. There! He spotted it. He crawled close and grabbed it, relieved to see no new cracks despite the rough tumble.

"Oh, good!" He sighed with relief. "I thought it..." He trailed off and frowned; he was hearing something, some kind of wind? He brought the camera to his eyes and turned. And he immediately froze. What he had rolled into wasn't a wall or a rock: It was something big, something alive.

And currently sleeping.

Eric's fear wavered nervously as he listened to the gentle snores. They sounded like a person's, but louder, making Eric wonder just what kind of monster this legend was about. He slowly walked forward, feeling a flash of relief and courage when he spied his handkerchief in the mud. He grabbed it and clutched it tightly as he moved forward, approaching the massive figure and getting a good look at the beast for the first time.

It appeared to be a giant person. Male, with a dark gray shirt and black pants over legs that seemed to stretch on for miles, capped off by black trail boots. Pale skin covered the arms, which were loosely folded over the chest, and over the giant's face was a snapback hat, the visor resting on the nose and covering the closed eyes. Eric stifled a frightened squeak and shook harder, finding little relief in the fact that this huge man was currently sleeping.

But he did feel warm. As Eric slowly came closer, he could feel the body heat emanating from this huge person, and he hesitantly walked up to the massive flank again. He could hear the soft wooshes of air as the giant breathed, his inner workings a surprisingly pleasant change from the pouring rain that had trolled him for the past ten minutes. Huddling under a bent elbow, Eric sighed, glad to be out of the rain and somewhere warm. Actually, he was pretty sure this was the warmest he'd ever felt. He found himself slumping against the warm fabric surface and his eyelids drooping, exhaustion finally hitting at full force, and the camera fell out of his limp hand as he slid down and fell asleep in the shadow of the giant.

 

 

 

"... Just sleeping.. there...?"

"... Idea... Poor thing... Lost..."

"Doubtful... Probably... Ze other humans..."

"... Cute, though... Like him..."

"... Don't think we can... Dangerous..."

"But...leaves, zen ve... Have to move again."

"I know, doc, what do ya want from me? I couldn't just leave him out in a storm there in the middle of nowhere. He was ice cold! And all those scratches... He stank too, I think he might be homeless."

"I do not care! I'm sorry, but zis iz too dangerous, I cannot garantee our safety if ve keep him here." Eric slowly opened his eyes. It was dark, but it felt like it shouldn't be. A soft fabric cradled him, and he was enveloped in a sea of covers and soothing warmth. He closed his eyes, finding his resting place too comfortable to question.

"Chase, I know you have a soft spot for humans, but I have to agree with Henrik. What if he just runs away? Worst case scenario he tells everyone in that town about us. Best case scenario... He gets lost and attacked by wildlife... Or-or by him."

"I won't let that bastard touch him. And besides, humans can take care of themselves, I've seen them on those trails and out camping before."

"Hah, barely."

"Well, I'm just saying... We need to be careful. We don't know what he's been through, so... Yeah, JJ is right, if he does run off, then don't be disappointed, okay?"

"I know, I know..." Eric frowned and opened his eyes again. Did his dad have some drinking buddies over? But this wasn't the trailer... Where on earth was he?

"D-dad?" Eric hesitantly called out. The voices immediately hushed. Eric winced, regretting speaking out, but it was too late to take back. "Uh, d-d-dad, wh-where-where are we now? I-I don't-I-I don't r-remember--" Eric flinched and covered his eyes when light suddenly blinded him. He squinted and tried to peek through his fingers, but all he could see were three blurry faces taking up way more of his vision than normal. No sign of Derek, though.

"Vhat ze hell?" That was the german voice muttering. He sounded cross. Eric couldn't blame him.

"Shit, what do we do?"

"Well he hasn't flipped out yet, so let me talk." He saw the peering face on his right loom closer. "Hey, little dude, c-can you understand me?" Eric slowly lowered his hands, letting his eyes adjust. It was all still blurry: he realized it was because his glasses were missing.

"I-I-I c-I can't- my... m-my glasses," Eric quietly stuttered.

"Oh, Jackie get those things that were on his face." A red hand that was impossibly big suddenly swooped down, holding the tiny pair of glasses between an index finger and thumb. Eric cowered back, but he didn't want to be rude, so he timidly reached out and grabbed for the glasses. Initially, his groping hand brushed the red, making the hand flinch back a little and in turn make Eric shy back again.

"It's okay Jackie, he doesn't bite," the other voice coaxed.

"Speak for yourself," the german voice muttered as Eric finally grabbed his glasses and put them on. They were a little crooked and foggy, which was normal, so he looked up to finally see what was happening.

He immediately felt faint.

Not just one, but three giants were looking down at him, two further back than the other. The closer one, the one who had first tried talking to him, was watching him with a warm smile that offered support; but at the moment it only heightened Eric's anxiety. The other two had masks on, one with a doctor mask pulled down and around the neck, and the other with a deep blue domino mask to match the pair of bright blue eyes behind them.The doctor wore a signature white coat over a light blue shirt, and the masked guy wore some kind of red and blue onesie as far as Eric could tell. Such strange choice of clothing-- not that he was judging!

Come to think of it, they all looked pretty similar; well groomed goatees, dark brown hair, blue eyes, pale skin... Perhaps they were brothers? Although the doctor guy looked pretty stern--

"Don't freak out," the closer one gently said, "We're not gonna hurt ya." The doctor huffed doubtfully, making Eric feel even more nervous as he tried to wring his handkerchief, but when he looked for it it wasn't there. His alarm spiked even more as he looked around frantically, completely abandoning the frightening fact that he was face to face with three huge giants. The closer one frowned, tilting his head before his eyes sparked.

"Oh, you want the- Hey Jackie get the- oh, thanks JJ." A fourth had crossed into Eric's line of sight. He had a little bowler hat on and a well-groomed moustache over a lightly dappled goatee. A blue vest over a white shirt was what covered the new person's visible thorax, and in his extended hand was Eric's prized handkerchief.

Eric gasped with relief as he took the yellow cloth from the giant's fingers. The man smiled with a twitch of his moustache, pulling his hand away as Eric clutched his precious comfort object.

"Thank you, thank you, th-thank you..." He murmured anxiously. A little bit of his stress had already dissipated with the reunion of his handkerchief. Overhead, the closer one shared a look with the masked one, while the doctor guy made a "Hmmph" sound and adjusted his glasses. Eric looked up at them, fear wavering with timid curiosity.

"Wh-who are you?" He asked. Then he made a frightened face. "I-I-I'm sorry, I'm sorry, that-that sounded rude, oh...!" He started rocking again, feeling another wave of helpless panic. "I-I didn't mean to sound rude, I-I just-I mean, my-my dad has a lot of friends, and-and it-it's just so hard t-to keep track of them all, 'cause we-we-we move a lot and ev-and everything, but-but, um...!" The moustache giant suddenly started gesturing with his hands.

"[Whoa, slow down there grasshopper! You're okay.]" Eric blinked and sniffled.

"A-are-are you sure?" He mewled. He heard a sharp intake from one of the other giant people, but the dapper man blinked before grinning and continuing to gesture.

"[Of course you are! If anything we're the rude ones here, chap, but we were just so surprised when Chase brought you home--]"

"Ve ahr rude!?" The doctor snapped, "No, no no no no, ve have every reason to toss zis human out back for ze vildlife to tear him apart!"

"Henrik!" The masked one exclaimed. "That's horrible! We can't do that to an innocent!"

"Who said he iz innocent?" Henrik sniffed rather snobbishly.

"I do," the closer one growled, "And if you have a problem with that then you can just turn your back and pipe down!" He then looked down at Eric and gave him that reassuring smile again. "You're not bein' rude at all little dude. I, ah, I don't know who your dad is, but I'm Chase." Chase then nodded to the others. "The prick over there is Henrik von-"

"Doctah Schneeplestein," Henrik huffed, turning away.

"I'm Jackieboyman!" The masked one exclaimed eagerly. "But you can call me Jackie!"

"And our mute friend here is Jameson Jackson, but we call him JJ." JJ waved hello, and Eric shyly waved back.

"H-hi." He turned to Chase. "Y-you-you found me?" Chase nodded.

"Yep! You were all snuggled up against me like a sleeping bag," the giant chuckled, "Good thing I don't move much in my sleep, huh?" Eric gave them a weak smile.

"Y-y-yeah...I'm s-sorry, I-I just..." Then he trailed off as his smile dropped to horror. "O-oh, oh, oh, my-my dad! H-he-he must be-he-he was--!"

"Yer dad?" Jackie leaned forward curiously. "Was he with ya in the forest?"

"Y-y-yeah, he-he was-he was with me- he was there, with-w-with me, and-and-and there was-there was a-a-a m-m-monster--" Poor Eric was tearing up again, his words jumbling into gasps of air as he tried to not cry in front of his new acquaintances.

"A monster?" Chase echoed. Eric glanced up to see that the giant was wearing a frown. It was then that he finally noticed that his cap from before was missing: and with a quick look around, he realized that he had been resting in the upside down snapback this entire time, with a large piece of cloth as his comfy blanket. Flustered, Eric nodded as he clung to his handkerchief, starting to realize just how humongous these new people were.

"Y-yes, sir..." Chase's eyebrows quirked.

"Sir?" He asked with amusement.

"U-um!" Eric panicked again. "I-I'm sorry! I-if-if you don't like being called that, th-that's-that's okay! I-I-I mean--" Chase shook his head, smiling warmly.

"It's okay little dude, you don't need to be so formal." Eric practically melted with relief. "But what about this monster? What did it look like?"

"W-w-well." Eric wrung his cloth. "B-big, uh, tw-two, two feet, it-it had two feet, I-I think. It-it was really dark-- and-and bright, but it-it had, um, green-green eyes." He noticed the giants all exchange a look. He didn't like it. "Wh-wh-what-what is it?" He asked without thinking.

"He iz fucked," Henrik remarked. Eric's heartrate skyrocketed.

"What!?" He cried.

"Henrik!" Chase admonished. JJ flicked the doctor on the ear, making him yelp and jerk away.

"[Don't be so rude, old chap!]"

"I am not being rude, I am being a realist!" His hand rubbed the side of his head as he glowered at Eric. "And ve should get rid of him vhile ve still can!"

"No!" Eric flinched when Chase suddenly stood up. His whole world teetered as gravity tugged on him, and he realized that the giant had been holding the cap this whole time. He worried how high up he may be, but he was too afraid to even look over the lip of the bowled walls. "We can't just leave him for the wild animals to get," Chase argued, "He's a person too! Or have you forgotten what that's like?" Henrik bristled with an annoyed growl, but Jackie intervened.

"Okay, okay! Then how about we wait until Marvin comes back with Robbie? Then we can ask his opinion, and decide if we keep him here or not." Eric wondered if that was a good or a bad thing. Was it good? They seemed nice, maybe they were talking about letting him stay over since he'd gotten lost. Maybe they'd help him find his dad!

"... U-Um... e-excuse-excuse me, but-but wh-what about my-my dad?" Eric timidly asked. He immediately recoiled, expecting a rebuke.

"I'm sure he's fine." Jackie offered him a tight grin. "Yeah, he-he'll be okay, you betcha! And if we see him, we'll let ya know."

"Oh, you-you would, really?" Eric's eyes shimmered gratefully as his chest relaxed a little. "Thank you, th-thank you!"

"[I'd bet my bottom dollar that Marvin might have seen him,]" JJ signed, "[He's out on guard duty, so maybe he knows something.]"

"I-I hope so." Eric hesitated a small second, and then he added, "I-I... I hope I'm not being too-too inconvenient..." Henrik scoffed and shuffled out of sight, and Chase shot an annoyed look after him.

"No, no you aren't. Not at all!" Eric smiled nervously as the giant shifted his grip on the cap. "Are you still tired?" He asked, changing the subject, "You slept the whole way home, but you still look like your ass got dragged through a bunch of bushes."

"O-oh, well..." Eric recalled what must have already been last night-- or this morning. "I-I did, but-but I didn't get-I didn't get dragged through them, I-I had to t-to hide from the monster." He felt lightheaded just thinking about it. The remaining three giants shared sympathetic glances.

"Well, how about you try getting a few more zzz's in?" Chase gently suggested, "You can stay right where you are, if you want. My hat's pretty dope." Flustered, Eric fiddled with his handkerchief as he turned red with embarrassment.

"A-are-are you sure? Are you sure- I-I mean-w-well- I-I wouldn't be a-a bother?" He tried to stutter out.

"No, you're fine." Chase offered that contagious grin again. "Just get some rest. I'll make sure nobody bothers you."

"O-oh... Th-thank-thank you..." JJ turned to Jackie and signed something just out of Eric's peripheral. Jackie nodded and silently went out of the human's line of sight, their rumbly steps fading. Chase had turned away briefly to nod goodbye, and then he returned his attention to Eric.

"Well, I'll set you down in my room, I guess. You okay with me walking?" Eric nodded timidly, and the giant started taking slow, steady steps. Each step gently rocked him like a boat on calm waves, and though he had initially tensed Eric soon found himself calming down. His heart didn't hammer so hard as it had before, and he even let out a little yawn and snuggled his covers as Chase carefully transported him into a different section of wherever they were. Peering through the hole at the back of the hat, he could see that the walls were unrefined rock, and he remembered seeing the ceiling was the same: was this a cave?

"Here we go." Chase turned from the tunnel and walked into a chamber. It was made of rock as well. Definitely a cave system. That explained the cool, earthy sense of the air. The giant walked over to a roughly rectangular collection of fur blankets and crouched down, gently setting the cap down at the head of the mess. Eric could get a few glimpses of the world beyond the gaelic giant: a giant-sized wad of paper amongst a sea of tinier pieces, a crudely handcrafted table with a chair looming over a broken leg, as well as a fashioned cup surrounded by... teabags?

"Comfy?" Chase asked, snapping Eric out of his observations. The human flinched and turned red again, nodding sheepishly. "Good. Just relax. You'll be safe here." The giant stood to his full height, making Eric blanch: he could barely see his chin from way down here, let alone his face if he didn't angle it downward like now. "I know this'll take some getting used to, but nothing bad will happen to you. I'll make sure of it." Eric let out a little nod, the permanence of these words not quite connecting with him.

"Th-thank you," he said shyly, wringing his handkerchief now, "Y-you-you're really- you're really n-nice..."

"Aww, thanks bro," Chase laughed lightly, "You too!" Eric felt his senses go numb. He was... Nice? He had never been called nice before. Especially not by someone he barely even knew. "I'm gonna go check on the others," Chase continued, not noticing Eric's bewilderment, "If ya need anything, let me know, I'll be back lickity split!" And with that, the giant turned and went on out of the cavern, leaving Eric to struggle with his own thoughts. Nice? Someone had called him nice... And a giant! Not that he was judging these new people's height, but...

Astonished, Eric slumped under the covers. The hat was still warm with Chase's fading presence, offering the young man a feeling he hadn't experienced in a long time: security. He felt safe, for some reason. Tearing up a little, Eric pushed the covers aside to remove his prosthetics. With a soft click they came undone, and he set them close by in case he needed to quickly put them back on. He snuggled the dimly nostalgic feeling, uncertainly accepting its gentle embrace. As he closed his eyes, he found his thoughts wandering to his mother. How his mama was so warm like this. She gave nice hugs, with the same feeling as what he felt now. Except now he felt a twinge of morose as her redolent perfume came back to him: she always smelled nice, not fake like the smells that came out of bottles, but like cinnamony vanilla flowers with a hint of warmth. Yes, that was the best way he could identify it: warm. It was a warm smell for a warm presence; he both smiled and teared up at the memory of it.

He closed his eyes and turned over, trying to stop thinking before he could remember the bad stuff. But as he slipped into exhausted sleep, he couldn't help but remember the echos of their screams, and he fell into a fitful sleep as tears leaked from his closed eyes.

 


	4. How Did We Get Here (Part 3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Every story with Stockholm Syndrome starts out all happy and fun, right? ... What do you mean this isn't a sleepover?

Eric's eyes shot open when he heard a crash, followed by someone swearing. He sat up and looked around, his heart hammering in his chest. Where was he? Who was that? That didn't sound like Derek. He looked again and realized he was in Chase's hat still, and he slowly relaxed with an anxious sigh. "Oh... R-right..." He mumbled to himself, remembering; the forest, the monster... the giant people. He rubbed his eyes and adjusted his glasses, and then he put on his prosthetics before he shifted to peek out through the back of the hat. He was no longer in Chase's room, instead he saw a wall of young sunlight beaming into the cave. He squinted in the brighter world, seeing nothing but nature beyond the rock.

"Oh, shit!" Eric turned and looked up to see Jackie with a guilty smile. "Did I wake you up?" He asked. "Sorry. Guess I'm a lot clumsier than I thought."

"O-oh, no... I-I just-I just felt like w-waking up," Eric stammered. A gleam of energy returned to Jackie's eyes, and he leaned back out of sight.

"That's good! ... Buuut, just between you and me, I totally did not mess up doc's rock collection." Eric bit down on a giggle, which almost escaped his throat. Was it rude to not laugh? Was that a joke? Should he have laughed?

"O-okay." Jackie popped back into view and picked up the hat, much to the human's surprise. He teetered and fought to remain upright as the energetic giant spun on his heel and took a few springy steps.

"Lemme just, ah, finish cleaning this up here... And then... There we go!" Jackie wiped his dusty hand against his hip. "Okay! Yer probably hungry by now, right?" Eric shyly nodded. "Well, everybody else just finished eating, but we got lots of leftovers!" The sunlight diminished as Jackie started walking again, moving deeper into the cave. Eric found it hard to see, squinting just to get a glimpse of the blurred tunnelscape, but the darkness accompanied with the more energetic swing of the giant's step made it impossible. But Jackie seemed to know exactly where he was going. He confidently walked on until the tunnel opened up into a small space.

"It's somewhere around here... Aha!" Jackie reached somewhere and pulled out something creaky. He unhooked a small silver box from his belt and flicked it open, clicking sparks out of it until a small flame sustained. Eric shielded his eyes until they adjusted, and when he looked he saw that the giant had lit a homemade lamp.

"Oh..." He breathed.

"Pretty cool, huh?" Jackie set the lamp down on a crate. "Marvin made it. Want a protein bar?"

"Uh, s-sure?" The cap was set down on a nearby crate, and Jackie pulled off the lid of another one and rummaged before he pulled out a little wrapper between his fingers.

"Here ya go!" When it was offered, Eric stuttered his thanks and gratefully took it. He opened the wrapper and tried a little nibble of the edge. Mmm... Chocolate grain and blueberry. He gnawed on the bar with delicate bites, and before long he was licking the crumbs off his lips and fingers. "Damn," Jackie remarked, sounding amused, "And I thought I ate like a boss." Eric turned red.

"D-did-did I e-eat too-too fast?" He fretted.

"No, no, you eat at yer own pace, I was just sayin'." As Jackie moved some stuff around outside of the cap, Eric sat up and peeked over the edge. He spied the silver box Jackie had used to light the lamp, and he regarded it curiously. "... Oh, Chase let me borrow that," the giant suddenly commented, taking the lighter and clipping it back onto his belt. Eric twitched and glanced up at him with alarm.

"I-I-I wasn't--"

"Relax little duder!" Jackie reassured him with a small laugh. "I'm not gonna hurt ya for asking about a lighter." Eric turned red.

"O-oh, n-no-n-n-no, th-that-that's not wh-wh-that's n-not what I-I--" The giant's eyes squinted in a sympathetic frown.

"Okay, okay, just calm down there, buddy," he coaxed, "They don't call me Jackieboyman for nothin'!" Eric faltered in his attempts to apologize and had a delayed reaction.

"Th-they?"

"Well..." Jackie shrugged nonchalantly. "The people, yeah. It's my superhero name." Eric's eyes widened.

"S-superh-hero?" He echoed quietly. The giant nodded.

"Yep! That's why I wear the mask, so nobody knows my secret identity." He gestured at the blue mask, and then added humorously, "Well... Except everybody else here knows who I am. They're my brothers, after all."

"Oh... s-so-so you are related." Jackie shook his head.

Nah, we're just all that close... Mostly. One of 'em's kind of a jerk, but everybody has their moments. But we've been through a lot, we all depend on one another... It just feels right, ya know?" Eric could see that. He nodded, squeezing his handkerchief as he thought about his own brothers. "Oh yeah! Speakin' of which..." Jackie folded his arms on the crate to lower his head closer to Eric's height. "How did ya understand JJ?" He asked curiously, "I know it's a form of sign language and all, but it seriously took me AGES to get it."

"Oh, m-my-my brother, uh, o-one of-one of them, at least, h-he-he, uh, couldn't talk, s-so-so I-I'm just u-used to it, I-I guess..."

"Ohh, so you its you, yer dad, and yer brother?"

"N-no..." Eric fell quiet and distant. "I-it's just me and-and my dad..." Jackie tilted his head with a soft frown, but he didn't push for details. He resumed tidying the storage room, giving Eric his space until the human snapped out of his dark thoughts and looked up at him.

"S-So... H-how- what kind of-of powers do y-do you have?" He asked.

"Ah, nuthin' too special. X-ray vision, agility, strength, keen hearing, that kinda stuff." Eric's eyes enlarged as he let out a respective "Ooh," of awe. "I'm also good with electronics," Jackie added rather proudly, turning slightly into a pose. "Although I guess that's not really a superpower, just a skill."

"I-it's still impressive." A soft groan stole Eric's attention from his genuine awe. He peeked out of the hat and saw a figure shuffling into the cavern. Gray eyes were illuminated by the lamp's glow like mirrors, and pastel-purple hair deepened into a magenta glow. Eric felt faint when he saw the amount of stitches covering this giant's pale body, and he wondered fervently if he was going to faint or throw up.

"Oh, hey Robbie!" Jackie greeted softly, "Need something?"

"Mmarvin... Said... Fruit baarrs... Left...?"

"Yeah, lemme fetch ya some." As the superhero went rootling for the quest items, Robbie's head turned slightly, and his eyes landed on Eric. Eric found himself ducking a little, feeling uneasy. He didn't seem bad... But something told him that this giant wasn't even human like the others.

"Ssmmall... Verry... Cute..." Robbie gurgled. Eric immediately blushed with embarrassment. Cute? Nobody had ever called him cute before. No, no no no, he had to be talking about someone else. He wasn't cute! He was a hideous, crippled crybaby-- or so he thought. Nevertheless, he still commanded his hand to give the pale giant a small wave, smiling self-consciously. Robbie waved back serenely, seemingly completely cool with the fact that there was a human in their home.

"Here you go!" Jackie passed a handful of fruit bars to Robbie, who accepted them with a happy look. "Yer favorite flavor and--" Jackie stopped mid-sentence when the other giant hugged him, and he chuckled. "Awwhawwh, love you too big guy!" He gave his lavender hair a noogie before the pale boy lumbered off. Jackie watched him go with a big smile, and then he looked at Eric. "Zombies, am I right?" He chuckled. It was probably an inside joke, but it made Eric's eyes widen as the blood drained from his cheeks.

"Z-z-zom-zomb-b-bies?" He squeaked.

"Yeah, he wouldn't hurt a fly though. He's not about brains. Mostly cookies, but Marvin doesn't make those very often."

"O-oh..." Eric slowly relaxed. "I-I've-I've never met a-a zombie, b-before," he granted.

"Well, now ye have!" Jackie pointed this out enthusiastically. "He's really sweet and thoughtful, you'll see even--" he broke off and covered his mouth. Eric stared at him.

"... I-I'll s-see what?" He asked uncertainly. Jackie let out a muffled groan and dropped his hand, grimacing.

"Uh... I'm-I-I wasn't suppose to say anything 'bout that yet..." He mumbled. Eric started to feel uneasy, his hands wringing his hanky as dread swirled around and knotted his insides. He wanted to prompt Jackie for an answer, but there was a lump in his throat, and his heart was hammering quite loudly in his ribcage. Fortunately, he didn't have to. Jackie sighed and continued. "Okay, okay, fine, I'll spill the coffee!" The superhero sighed again as he put his hands on his hips. "It wouldn't be fair to keep this from ya, so... Ye can't go home, little duder." Silence. Eric waited. He blinked, clutched his foulard, but Jackie just watched him remorsefully, expecting a reaction.

"... I-I can't?" The giant shook his head. "... Wh-when-when can I?" His Adam's apple bobbed.

"N-never." The word cut through Eric like an invisible knife. 

"Never...?"He shuddered with a stifled gasp, and he sunk down on his derrière. His diaphragm was visibly working, rationality crowded out by panic as all thoughts shut down. "N-no I-I have to-I-I have to s-see my-my dad, I-I have t-to see him, he-he needs- I-I need him, I-I can't-I-I--" It was getting hard to breathe. He was vaguely aware of Jackie trying to get his attention, but for some reason he couldn't make out the words. He felt gravity tug on him as the hat was picked up, and the vibrations of the giant's hurried steps, but it all registered only in the back of his mind as his chest got tight. His center of gravity felt off; he couldn't tell if he was hot or cold, and he felt light-headed. Sweat was shimmering on his forehead, but he was too frozen in place to even utilize his handkerchief.

Time seemed to skip, as he was suddenly aware of being in a completely different place. He was out of the snapback cap and surrounded by pale skin, pressed against a wall of soft gray with darker flecks covering the fabric. Vibrations were gently tingling his numb nerves, soothing his knocking heart as he trembled in the warm embrace. He was coming to realize the tears that were streaking down his face, and the fingertip that was gently ruffling his hair, and the other fingers that comfortingly supported his back. He took a shuddery breath, putting his face back into the gray wall as he realized that he was being spoken to.

"That's it... Just keep breathing, you're doing great..." As soon as Chase's words were comprehendible, Eric's mind stopped its scattered terrors. He found his mind focusing in on those words, on that gentle voice, and his hiccupy gasps gradually slowed to shaky inhales. "There you go, that's it little dude... Just keep breathing, that's all you gotta do... In for four, out for four, in, out... In... And out..." Eventually, Eric's breathing matched Chase's gentle diction. He took one last shaky breath before it came out in a sigh, burying half of his face against the giant's chest. He was still shivering, soaked with sweat and tears, but Chase didn't seem to mind in the slightest. The finger rubbing his head slowly slid down to his shoulderblades, gently massaging the tight muscles in his curled back. Eric's eyelids drooped, and a few incoherent noises escaped his lips as he shyly leaned into the touch. The words of encouragement faded into a moment of silence, but it didn't feel awkward for once. It wasn't completely silent either: Eric could feel Chase's heart softly booming right in his ear, hear the soft wooshes of breaths as the other systems worked. In any other circumstance, he would have felt intimidated, frightened... But the giant was so warm. Even the muscles more powerful than his whole body were cradling and gentle, matching the personality of their master. He had never been so warm before. For once in his life, Eric didn't feel out of place, or like he was somewhere where he shouldn't. This felt... Right.

The youth had subconsciously relaxed now, lightly nuzzling his gargantuan hugger. He felt much better now, enough so that he peeked over his shoulder to take in their surroundings, and he realized that they were back in the sunny cavern. The sun was just out of reach, not blinding him with its rays but rather offering its light and warmth for atmospheric comfort. The trees shaded the ball of light well, minimizing the luminosity of the bright light enough so that it wasn't too bright to look outside.

"... You wanna go outside?" Chase quietly asked, almost whispering. Eric looked up at him. His hat was in its rightful place, the visor shading the upper half of his face completely and making his eyes look sunken and weary.

"... I-I can't," Eric whimpered softly. What happened before he blacked out had come back to him, and he began trembling again. "I-I c-can't-I-I can't l-leave... E-ever." Chase's brow furrowed upward as he watched Eric start to cry again. He sighed sadly and gently pressed the human to his chest. "I-I wanna g-go home...!" He sobbed. The giant could feel his heart ripping itself into shreds.

"I know, I know... Shh..." He rubbed his little back, feeling the tiny shoulders shake under his touch. "I don't like it either, I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." Eric didn't know what to do. What could he do? If he tried to leave then they would undoubtedly turn on him. He wasn't the fastest person either. Or sneakiest. Actually, he could never tell a lie, he wasn't even sure if he physically could. All he had ever done his whole life was what Derek told him to do.

He wished his dad was here to tell him what to do now.

He wished he could go home.

He wished he had his brothers still.

He wished he had his family again.


	5. Rapport

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes bad things have to happen before the good things can.

When Eric opened his eyes, he was almost confused by his oddly familiar whereabouts before it all came rushing back to him again. He blinked at the soft ruby bowl surrounding him, and the cool gray walls beyond, and then he sat up and reached for his prosthetics. Once they clicked on, he got up and peeked over the top of the hat, getting a look at his surroundings. He was still in Chase's room, and the stony chamber hadn't changed; there was no telling what time it was though. The cavern was lit by a golden glow, but where it originated from Eric couldn't tell. As far as he could remember, it had been a few days since he'd been brought in by Chase. Two days since he'd found out he was a permanent guest.

It wasn't terrible, really. They were nice and everything, but they kept him away from the main entrance as much as possible. He still hadn't met this Marvin person, but the others were still nice to him-- except for the doctor guy. He was scary. But Chase made him feel a lot better. Jackie felt really bad about breaking the bad news to him like that, but he made up for it by being optimistic and contagiously energetic. He hadn't seen the zombie guy again but one glimpse between meals, and JJ still seemed pretty nice. After he'd gotten over the initial shock that he couldn't ever leave the cave, he'd started talking back to the mute in sign language, which made him ecstatic. He was a little rusty, and he always apologized when he made the slightest mistake, but the dapper giant seemed glad just to have someone to talk to without listening so much for once.

But the one he stayed with the most was Chase. After having his mental breakdown, Eric hardly ever left Chase's watch; he had been so embarrassed and flustered about it that he turned red sputtering apologies, but the giant had reassured him that he had no reason to be sorry. If anything, Chase had claimed, he was suppose to be the sorry one, but Eric refused to believe Chase was at fault. He understood that Marvin had decided the cave arrest, but also that he was fortunate enough to have been spared from a worse fate. He didn't blame any of them, really, but he wished he knew if his dad was okay.

He rubbed the drowsiness out of his eyes and tried to lean forward for a better look at the room, but then the whole world suddenly tilted, and he squeaked as he and the hat went tumbling off the giant's bed. It was a very short fall, fortunately, and the hat landed on top of him. Eric struggled to push his way out of the cloth he had used as covers, and it took a whole minute before he finally managed to step out through the back of the hat. He sighed, quite relieved to be out of there, but his small victory quickly dissipated as the cold air around him dug into his skin. He shivered and rubbed his arms, looking back at the blankets. Before he could take a step toward them, however, he realized that he could hear something: voices, echoing just out of reach against the cavernous walls.

Eric hesitated, wondering if he should leave. Chase would be back soon, so would it be rude to just walk out himself? Was it soon? Was it too soon? Too late? What was the protocol for being a guest at someone's house anyway? What would Derek do?

"D-dad would... s-seek out the-the attention..." He murmured to himself. "But-but he w-would be the center of th-of the at-ttention..." While he hesitated, he heard a momentary rise in voice, and his fear finally caved in to curiosity. He stepped over scattered teabags and tousled papers, picking his way to the exit. He found himself in the long, winding tunnel that served as a main hallway, dimly lit by faded sunlight. He squinted into the darkness, identifying that the voices came from deeper within the earth. Eric felt his hands shaking, but he gripped the handkerchief and bravely marched on.

The deeper in he went, the harder it was to see, and the chillier it got. He eyed the stalagmites nervously as he walked past, the formations glistening menacingly like bared teeth. He shuddered and quickened his pace, regretting his decision. Was he being too hasty? Inconsiderate? Rude? Maybe this was a private conversation that he shouldn't be barging in to, maybe this was a personal moment that wasn't a good idea to--!

But before he could persuade himself to turn back, Eric could start making out snippets of the speaking voices. He spotted just up ahead the unnatural flickering of a light, and he swallowed nervously before slowly walking up to the emitting entry.

"Doc, that's ridiculous! Do you even hear yourself right now? I know you've always been a little stubborn, but come on dude!"

"You do not even know his name!"

"I- I'm giving him time to adjust, to settle in! He just got here, we don't-we don't know what he's been through... Or how much he's seen." Eric winced. It was Chase and Doctor Whatever-His-Really-Long-Name-Was, something that started with an S... The one with the over-the-top german accent. They were arguing again. Fighting. Accusing each other of the factoring stress that played its role all too well. Raising their voices, bickering...

"I have to agree with Schneeplestein to a certain point, Chase." That voice was definitely an unfamiliar tone, calmer and even. Was it Marvin? Eric still wasn't sure who he was. He hadn't gotten a look at him yet, but he'd heard some tidbits. Apparently he was a magician. "Keeping a human here is very dangerous, especially with Anti's mood lately." Eric felt a chill go down his spine. Anti...? That didn't sound good. What was Anti? Who's Anti? The way the giant had said it... It made them sound like a bad person. A bad person like himself? Eric wondered. He risked a look: there were six giants gathered loosely in a circle; Chase, Jackie, Schneeplestein, JJ, a guy with a cat mask over his face-- with a small ponytail and a sweeping cloak on-- and Robbie, the zombie he had met the other day. That left him with only one stranger's face: the cat-masked man must be Marvin. Was the mask to hide his identity like Jackie's?

"Oh come on, Marv! Don't use that sicko's behavior as an excuse, he's always been like that!" There was Chase. He sounded upset, desperate almost. "And besides, he never shows up these days, I doubt he'd notice one measly little human." JJ deftly swished his hands in a series of hand gestures, signing something to the group that Eric couldn't quite make out since he was facing away.

" JJ's right. If what the little duder said is true, then don't ye think that means Anti was hunting him? Keeping him here could mean that he gets even madder at us."

"Jackie? Don't tell me you're going against your own code!"

"Wha, no! I don't care what Anti thinks, I'm just- I'm just saying, we'll need to protect him at all costs, won't we? If he's really going to stay here, I mean."

"All costs, you say? I am not risking my neck for some helpless vittle child!"

"Isn't it your job to help people!?"

"Uh, guys?"

"It iz not my job to babysit! Zat iz your job, or it vould be if Sta--"

"Shut it doc. Don't you dare finish that sentence."

"Vell zen you should think twice about ridiculing me, at least I have proper job, _assi_!"

"G-guys--"

"We live in the middle of nowhere! We're your only fucking patients, Schneep!"

"Easy, calm down you two. Arguing amongst ourselves will get us nowhere."

"Yeah well tell doc to check out his ass for the stick that's up it!"

"GUYS!!!" The argument came to a screeching halt. Jackie had raised his voice to overpower the escalation. He was looking away from the group with wide eyes, and he nodded at the cavern's entrance. "He's right there." Their expressions dropped. Chase was the first to break away, whisking out into the tunnel and turning to see a huddled form by the entryway. The poor human was curled up, his knees to his chest and his hands over his ears, shaking with stifled sobs as he cried into his knees. Chase bit his lip and slowly knelt, putting his hand beside Eric.

"H-hey little dude... I'm... I'm sorry you had to hear that." He put his fingers gently against his side, and at first the poor boy flinched away before coming to. Eric looked up at Chase with wide eyes, having started to shake even harder, before he put his face back in his knees. Chase moved his other hand to his other side, and he carefully scooped the human up off the cold hard ground. Eric started bawling, covering his face with his hands. "Shh... It's okay dude, it's okay..." The others clustered behind as Chase cradled the ball of angst to his chest, gently pressing him into the warm wall of fabric. Eric fidgeted to turn just enough so that his face pressed against his chest, gripping his shirt and clinging so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

Chase bit back his own negative feelings, focusing all of his attention on comforting the poor young boy. Jackie watched sadly, feeling sympathy for the poor thing. JJ crouched beside Chase and gave him a little pat on the shoulder to remind the giant that he was going to be okay. Even Henrik had the decency to look a little guilty about his harsh words. Robbie followed the mute's example and hugged Chase's other shoulder, wrapping his cold lifeless arms around the bro's upper arm.

"Nnno... cry... Nnno nneed...to cry..." He rumbled, his words sluggish but deliberate. Chase blinked and realized that a tear had escaped his own eyes. He inhaled and blinked away the hot water gathering in them, continuing to rub Eric's back and softly shush him. Eric shuddered and suddenly started gasping incoherent words of apology between sobs.

"I-I'm-I'm s-sorry, I-I-th-the-I w-woke up, a-and, and I-I just-I-heard th-the shouting and-and I-I-I just-I just c-couldn't h-help it...!" He babbled shrilly, hiccuping. Tears were streaming down his cheeks, his eyebrows raised sharply behind his crooked glasses. He tried to say more, but the rest of it came out in a jumbled mess of whimpers and cries. He only managed to keep crying out, "I-I-I'm-I'm sorry...!" which broke Chase's heart. He softly hushed him, hugging the human closely.

"It's alright, it-it's not your fault, you didn't do anything wrong...!" Another hand came down on his shoulder. Chase looked up to see that it was Marvin's. The patient but wary look in his eyes was a clear message. With a small, grateful nod, Chase turned back to Eric and slowly stood up. He shifted his arms and carefully folded them, cradling the human in his arms as if he were an infant.

"We're going back to my room," he said. He didn't suggest it, or offer any invitations. The others simply backed up, giving Chase the space he needed as he carried Eric down the tunnel. Jackie sighed, and JJ put his hand empathetically on his chest as the good doctor found an interest in the floor, listening to the fading steps of his close friend.

Chase turned in to his room and spied his cap. Wordlessly, he adjusted his arms and crouched, picking it up off the floor. He moved to put it back on his bed, but then he paused before dropping it there. "Here." He gently nudged Eric onto his hand and lifted him up above eye level. His hand then tilted, allowing Eric to sidle off of the living platform and onto his fluffy brown head. Eric sniffled and blinked as he looked around, tears faltering in his puzzlement. His anxiety heightened only briefly when the hat suddenly came down on top of him, fitting snugly around the giant's crown but leaving enough room for Eric to move freely. Sniffling, Eric wiped his eyes and pushed his glasses back on, shifting his weight.

"Ch-Chase...?" He asked in a small, broken voice.

"... Sometimes when I get overwhelmed, it feels good to have a private spot, where nobody can bother you with bad feelings, or where you don't have to hide how you really feel." Chase's voice was a gentle rumble from so close. Eric could imagine the vibrations of his voice through his skull, feel the warmth of his words, almost as loudly as if he were right up against the giant's chest still. His body heat was almost overwhelming, at first, seeping from his scalp and into the dim confines of his hat. It was a little stifling, but... safe. Yeah. It felt good. Warm. Safe. Eric closed his eyes, his fingers slowly curling to grip the soft hair cushioning him as the giant continued. "It's hard, trying to carry on day to day like everything's fine, when all you feel like doing is curling up in a shell and hiding from the world. Or yelling at your friends, when they're just trying to help." A wry chuckle followed his words. "That isn't healthy. But finding a balance between caring for others and caring for yourself is. I guess... Well, I guess my point is... If you ever feel overwhelmed, or scared, then all you gotta do is ask, and you can go right up in there." He gently tapped on his cap for emphasis. "No questions, no fuss," he vowed. Eric sniffled.

"... R-really...?"

"Really." Eric snuffed again and rubbed away his drying tears. He smiled a little.

"Th-that... That's-that's really th-thoughtful..."

"We'll need a codeword, though."

"C-codeword?"

"Yeah! Every cool operation needs a secret safeword." Chase put on a thinking face, stroking his goatee thoughtfully. "Hmm... How... About... 'Jinx'?"

"Jinx?" Eric echoed. He thought about it, and then he slowly nodded. "O-okay... As-as long as you're okay w-with it..."

"Are you?" Eric was thrown off guard.

"I-I'm-I'm fine with it, I-I-I guess..." He trailed off, wondering if that was the right thing to say. But Chase seemed okay with it.

"Alrighty then: Just say 'Jinx' if you ever need a break, little dude. I gotchya." Eric felt himself relaxing. He closed his eyes and nodded, sleepy from the soothing warmth.

"Mm-hmm..."

"Ahem, Chase?" At the clearing of a throat and his called name, Chase looked to see Henrik peeking in. "Shall I come back later?" He offered uncertainly, "Marvin said to give you space, but I--"

"Nah, it's fine, come on in doc." Schneeplestein entered the chamber, sheepishly standing not too far from the entry. Chase sat on his bed, keeping mindful of his movements as he felt Eric settle down in his hair. It was an interesting experience, but the young man felt surprisingly comfy. He didn't mind the warm weight at all. "What's up?" He asked. Henrik fidgeted with his hands, then he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small bottle.

"I, ah, I brought ointment... for his scratches." He tilted his head, glancing about the messy chamber.

"Oh. Well, he's under here." Chase gestured at his snapback. "I think he's falling back asleep though," he chuckled softly. Henrik nodded.

"Ah, I see. Vell... I'll just... Leave zis here, zen. N-no point in zem becoming infected." He set the bottle on the large table, and then his coat whisked as he turned to take his leave.

"... Henrik, wait." Chase was tapping his foot as he stopped the doctor. "I'm... I'm sorry," he sighed, "I know I get wound up a lotta times, but that's not any excuse for me to take it out on one of my best friends." Henrik sighed and turned to face him.

"Chase, I vas out of line." He put his hands behind his back, rocking lightly on the balls of his feet as he fidgeted for his next words. "As a doctor, using sensitive information zat is classified between me and ze patient iz inappropriate. Using zat information against _mein kumpel_ is even less forgiveable. Especially vhen zey trust me vith ze insecurity for zeir problems." Chase bit his lip; his eyes looked more tired and glazed. Henrik politely coughed into his fist before he stepped over to the other giant. "I vas being a vittle bitch," he confessed. "But I vas just vorried vhat vould happen if you let your guard down: you know how ze humans vould react if zhey saw us; so vhy did zis one not? It iz very confusing, and I am trying my best to keep my guard up... For all of our sakes." Chase nodded.

"I-I get it... I just- I dunno. He seems upset, but I don't think it's because of us-- well, not directly. He was even really nice when he first met us, remember?" Henrik grunted hesitantly, but he was biting back any hasty remarks his temper might try to blurt; for Chase's sake. "He didn't scream or try to run away, or... anything. Even now, after we had to break the news to him. But just... He stutters, all the time. You've seen how he is. When one of us start talking, he gets all fidgety and acts like a scolded puppy. He apologizes over the smallest of things, and sometimes he gets so worked up he just freezes and-and falls apart... And he's been having some bad dreams, but he avoids the subject like it's an everyday thing." Chase shook his head slowly, limiting the gesture very lightly so that he wouldn't disturb Eric. "And I don't think it's us that's the problem. Not completely, at least."

"Vell, you did practically kidnap him," the doctor remarked. Chase winced lightly.

"Y-yeah... But he was just, all alone... I didn't want Anti to get him; and we can't let him go back now, not after he's seen us."

"Marvin vas quite clear on zat."

"Yeah. But that's somethin' else that's been bugging me... I really like him, doc. And as much as I'd like him to stick around, we can't keep him here like it's some prison. That's horrible. But what if there was some way to prove to Marvin that he's not a threat to us? What if we could get the little guy to show him he would keep our secret?" Henrik inclined his head.

"How vould ve do zat?" Chase shrugged.

"I-I dunno. But somehow, if we could get that to work, then maybe Marvin would let him go. He could go home, wherever he belongs..." Schneeplestein was quiet for a few seconds. He took a seat beside the bro and pat his shoulder.

"You have a big heart, Chase. And I should know, I have seen it." That provoked a rueful chuckle. "But how do you know zat he vould keep our secret?" Chase shrugged.

"I dunno... Gut feeling, I guess." Henrik regarded him ponderingly, and then he sighed.

"Vell, I guess I could make an effort to be less of a _trottel_." He held up a salient index finger. "But zat does not mean I have to trust him. Zat is your department." Chase gave him a lopsided smile.

"Thanks doc." He leaned against his white clean shoulder, and the two expiated with a hug. 

 


	6. First Supper

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trying to get a human involved in a family of giants is a lot harder than you'd think— especially when that human is a poor cinnamon bun still crippled by anxiety— and leaves Chase trying his best to be as supportive as he can.

"Oh, I-I-I don't-I dunno..." Eric wrung his handkerchief uneasily. "Wh-what if-what if they don't like th-the way I eat? Wh-what if I'm too noisy? O-or-or they don't want to-to see me—?"

"Course they wanna see you!" Chase avidly reassured, "And don't you think it's about time you introduced yourself properly? I mean... I still don't even know your name, little dude." The bro lifted his hat momentarily to run his fingers through his fluffy hair, and then he gave Eric a kind smile as he shrugged. "I mean, if you don't wanna tell us your name yet, that's-that's fine. But we haven't eaten together in for _ever_ , I mean even Marvin's gonna be there. And he, like,  _never_  eats with us! Like, once-in-a-blue-moon— the real deal!" Eric felt his fear hopelessly fizzling out as he noticed the yearning in Chase's eyes. He couldn't ever bring himself to say no; how could he? Especially when the giant had this hyped up kind of energy. Finding the courage to even think of telling Derek Derekson no was one thing, but shooting down Chase Brody's heart like a dove...? He let out a shaky sigh.

"W-we-well, I-I guess- I guess a-a few bites w-wouldn't hurt..." he quietly stammered. The joy that flared up in those bright blue eyes made Eric feel a little bit better about the whole thing; and a little more guilty regretting his lack of will.

"Awesome!" Chase whisper-shouted, restraining his enthusiasm at last second as he resorted to shaking his fists excitedly, positively  _beaming_. Eric gave him a shaky smile, but his eyebrow was twitching as his teeth clenched nervously. "I'll let the others know!" He practically leaped to his feet and bounded across the room, halting himself midway through the entrance to lean back toward Eric. "Do you want your own spot, or would you not mind sitting with me?" Eric felt his sweat glands getting their next workout in.

"U-um... with-with y-you- w-well, I-if-if it's not t-too much of a-a bother..." He stuttered. Chase snapped his fingers and pulled his visor crooked.

"I gotcha little dude." He winked and whisked out of sight. Eric felt his skin heating up as he dabbed at his forehead and looked down at the messy floor, his face flushing with anxiety.

... What had he just gotten himself into?

 

 

 

  
Eric was having second thoughts before Chase even walked out. He was afraid of what would happen if he said no; he knew the giant was really nice, but anytime he ever even thought of telling Derek no... He winced at the thought and put his hand over his cheek. He could still feel the tingle of a lashing hand, the stinging memory of the reprimanding he'd gotten for trying to tell his father to stop. His ribs ached a little too, sympathizing with the young man as his breathing started to pick up speed, and soon he was gripping his foulard and slowly rocking himself as he felt the ghostly pains of his life seeping back. It suddenly hurt to breathe when he remembered the kicks to his ribcage; his back ached at the recollection of all those pushes against the wall; his heart squeezed as he remembered all of the terrible things Derek had yelled at him, drunk or not. His breathing hitched suddenly at the thought of seeing Derek again: What a pathetic excuse for a son, he'd say, all fifteen of the other brothers were better... What he wouldn't give to trade his own life for Meric, or Leric... Or Smeric...

It was when the delicious smell of rotisserie seeped tauntingly into the chamber that Eric was cowed to hide under his covers. His heart was doing that really fast patter that made him feel all lightheated and tingly. He couldn't help but tremble at the thought of meeting all of the giants at once: it wasn't their size that was the problem, it was the fact that they were people. Conscious, thinking people, each with their own dark thoughts and silent or voiced judgements, eyes that would mock him for his stuttering and clinginess, mark him as the failure of a son he was. Gods forbid if they ever found out about his handicap...! What would they say? What would they do? Would they stare and ogle with horror, disgust? Would they laugh? Would they tease him and call him weak, push him around before kicking him out to the wilds surrounding the cave?

Eric could feel the first sob weltering in his tightening throat, but the final straw was the dreaded footsteps of Chase's return. His logic completely shut down, and the human began to silently cry into his hands. At least if they did ditch him, then he could find Derek. He could go home... Couldn't he? Would Derek even take him back? He'd failed! The family name was doomed, and it was all his fault, just because he couldn't be brave enough to hold one stupid little camera...!

"D-dad... Dad, I'm-I'm sorry...!" He whimpered. "P-please- d-dad! I j-I-I wanna go home...! I wanna go home...! I-I can't...!"

"Little dude?" Hearing Chase's concerned voice made Eric freak out even more.

"N-no-p-please! D-dad, I-I can't, I-I can't do this- I-I can't- not-not alone—!" The covers were peeled back, exposing his huddled form. Eric weakly swallowed back a sob and put his head in the bedding, trying to hide his emotional breakdown. But it was too late.

"Hey, hey, what's the matter?" Chase's voice was gentle and soft as he slowly crouched down, putting his hand to the human's back. A poorly muffled sob answered him, followed by a string of jarbled whimpers. Chase let out a soft sigh and brought out his other hand, one on each side of Eric as he cupped and gently scooped the little human up. "Hey... Hey, it's okay..." Chase carefully leaned back to sit on the floor, and he gently pushed Eric up against his chest. The youth was quick to grab ahold of the dark gray fabric, and his sobbing escalated sharply as it finally escaped him. Chase let out another sympathetic sigh as he decided to not say anything just yet, instead just hugging the little guy in his hands and offering the warmth that always seemed to comfort him. Pretty soon, Eric was stuttering broken up apologies and trying to say that he was fine, but Chase shook his head and just kept holding him.

It took another five minutes before Eric's bawling calmed down. He was still trembling behind the giant's fingers, cheeks and glasses stained with salty tears as he let out a wet sniffle.

"... You wanna talk about it?" Chase offered quietly. Eric shook his head before he could stop himself, and he immediately afterwards curled up to brace himself. "That's okay." One of the thumbs gently massaged his back, allowing him to slowly slump in relief. "You don't have to say anything yet if you don't feel like it," Chase comforted. "But dinner's ready... You want me to grab you something?" Eric laid silently for a few seconds before slowly looking up with his sad puppy eyes.

"... B-but... But wh-what a-about th-the others?" He whimpered, almost whispering, as if the slightest breath would incur some sort of wrath.

"If you don't feel like being around anybody, that's alright. Hell, if you want me to leave you be for a bit I'll do that too, if it'll help you calm down." Eric immediately shook his head, wrapping his arms around the nearest finger.

"P-p-please, d-don't," he whimpered softly.

"Okay." Chase gently ruffled his raven hair. Eric felt a warm sensation blooming in his chest as the tender petting soothe his overworking nerves; worried that he was coming down with another anxiety attack or an illness, he gripped Chase's finger a little more tightly against his chest.

  
"... J-Jinx," Eric whispered. The giant smiled a little.

"You wanna come with me to grab some food, then?" He gently offered. "We'll come right back here, and they won't have to know you're under my hat." Eric peeked up at Chase, and at the sight of his calm and sure expression he relaxed a little and timidly nodded. Chase nodded back, keeping his movements gentle and steady as he mouthed a very soft "Okay."

He tilted his hand back and lifted Eric up to the side of his head. When the hat was lifted up, Eric slowly let go of the giant's finger and climbed aboard, sinking down in the center of the soft padding. He let out a small sigh and relaxed as the body heat washed over him, and he closed his eyes as the darkness of the snapback enveloped him. The human was quiet for three seconds before he let out the breath he'd been holding; a small choke came at the end of it, and Eric covered his mouth to stop himself from crying again.  _You're okay Eric, you're okay, you're okay, Chase forgives you, he doesn't blame you for getting emotional_... But deep down, Eric couldn't help but feel just so guilty as he felt the giant start walking. Chase had been so excited to share time with his brotherly friends, and he just had to go and have another meltdown. Again! Eric put his head in his hands, tearing up as he bit his lower lip.

_What is wrong with me?_

 

Chase had waited a moment to make sure his tiny passenger was seated, and then he carefully made his way out of the stony room and headed down the hall to the main cavern.

"There ya are!" Jackie was the first to greet him. The low sun's rays beamed magnificently through the trees, making the superhero absolutely glow with energy. "We were startin' to worry!" He chuckled. He was sitting just off to the side of the good doctor, who's legs were leisurely stretched to take up the empty seat beside him. Robbie sat between them, and directly across from the soft zombie was Jameson Jackson. The seats were folded up blankets from pelts, making a loose circle. In front of each spot resided a dining set all crafted from wood, and at the center lay a growing arrangement of dinner-worthy foods.

Chase gave the others a weak smile: it always impressed him to see the food Marvin managed to conjure up, but with Eric in distress he couldn't care less about eating anything. As he approached their ring of blankets and foods, Chase noticed Dr. Schneeplestein's eyebrow raise questioningly, seeming to have noticed the steadier sway in the bro's walk cycle; but JJ was the first to ask.

"[Where's the little chap?]" He signed, his head tilted and his eyes sparkling with inquisitive concern.

"Oh, he uh, he isn't feeling well." Jackie awed sympathetically.

"Is... Little perrson... Siick...?" Robbie rumbled. Chase put on a reassuring smile.

"No, he's just... he's, uh, having some bad dreams. He doesn't feel up to talking today, I think." Robbie gurgled sadly and put his arms in his lap, hunching a little.

"Owhh, it's okay Robbie." Jackie was quick to support the sweet zombie, putting a hand on his striped back. "You can ask him tomorrow," the superhero soothed. Chase stuck his hands in his pockets and eyed the seventh set of silverware—woodware?— that was placed next to Henrik.

"Guess you guys don't need the extra set," he pointed out nonchalantly. Jackie opened his mouth to say something, but his foot was abruptly stomped on by the acutely shushing doctor. Chase had his back turned when the red-clad giant let out a small yelp, rubbing his foot and shooting a glower at Henrik; instead, the snapback-wearing giant was looking over at Marvin, who was busily at work with his magic. It was quite a spectation, seeing things get flown around at controlled speeds, landing exactly where they belonged and sorting themselves into breathtaking culinary masterpieces.

"Hey dude, can I borrow some of those steaks?" Chase asked.

"Borrowing would suggest you plan on returning it," was the magician's dry answer. JJ wrinkled his nose and twitched his moustache in distaste.

"[What an unsightly thought!]" Chase chuckled.

"Then can I  _have_  some?" He emphasized.

"Better." A flourishing wave, a flash of black nail polish over pale skin, and a large wooden plate flew over, filled with a good mountain of freshly cooked meats.

"Ohh man. Thanks Marv." Chase had to remind himself to ask for some of the other accompanying foods before he finally wished the others a good dinner and carried the filched sustenance, one platter in each hand, into the hallway.

"Okay, we've got some food, mission control," Chase announced, shaking his head slightly to alert Eric that they were alone.

"O-oh, i-it-it smells, uh, r-really good," his muffled voice admitted. Chase smiled warmly.

"Just wait till you taste it, little dude. Marvin's phenomenal with cooking, I dunno how he does it!" As they retired to Chase's chamber, the shadows not far behind him suddenly flickered with a soft hiss of static. Two electric-green eyes pierced the dark veil of the tunnel, black feral slits watching as the giant turned in to his room; and then with a concealed flurry of static, the glitching disappeared along with those attentive eyes.


	7. Indelible

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A confrontation with Eric's feelings finally unwravels a few emotional hurdles, and he takes the first step to feeling at home.

Eric was nibbling on a fig newton bar when Jackie suddenly came barging in, followed by the soft-spoken JJ. The human yelped and fumbled to not drop his lunch, while Chase pitched an empty wrapper.

"Hey! What happened to knocking?" He protested. JJ brought up a loose fist and politely knocked on the cavern wall. "... Thanks." Eric let out a little titter and hid his face with the fruit bar.

"Chase, this is no time for caviling!" Jackie insisted. "We came here because we wanted to make sure the little duder was okay. He's been hiding in here for the past three days, and you keep postponing having supper with us! Is he sick? Is he trying to lose weight? Is he vegan? Is he—?"

"Whooaa, Jackie— Jackie!" Chase subtly shifted his leg in front of Eric, as if to shield him from the barrage of questions. "Slow down bro! He's okay. He's not sick, and he isn't a vegan." Eric seemed to take an interest in the floor as he continued to anxiously nibble.

"[Avoiding Stockholm Syndrome?]" JJ prompted. Chase shook his head, and the mute shrugged cluelessly as he scratched his head.

"Then what?" Jackie pleaded. "Little duder, if ye don't like us then you can just say so! We're just worried about ya." Eric shriveled, hunching under the superhero's distressed stare. He licked the crumbs from his fingers and awkwardly set the wrapper aside, wincing when Chase spoke up.

"Of course he likes you! He doesn't hate us, he just... He isn't up to talking to a bunch of us at once. He's still gettin' used to us." The young human found himself nodding as he kept his gaze averted.

"Well... Yeah, okay." Jackie's shoulders relaxed as he sighed in admission. "But ya can't just hog him, Chase, we wanna get to know him too!" Chase smiled thinly.

"He will when he wants to. I don't wanna force him into anything." Relieved, Eric turned away from the conversation and resumed eating from the small stash that they had "borrowed" from storage. The three giants chatted together a little bit longer before saying goodbye and leaving them be.

Above him, Chase let out a big sigh and propped his chin on his arm. "I'm sorry, little dude," he apologized. Eric turned sharply toward him.

"F-for-for what?" He held a packet of fruit snacks in his wringing hands, eyes widened with concern.

"Well... I mean I kinda just spoke for you, and I should have let you speak for yourself."

"O-oh..." Eric shrugged and meekly popped a grape-flavored gummy in his mouth. "I-It's-it's fine, I'm-I'm used to it." Chase frowned.

"Used to it?" He echoed.

"Y-yeah, my-my dad does everything for me..." Eric trailed off and quietly corrected, "D-did."

"... Oh." The giant fell quiet for a few seconds. "... My-my dad was nothin' like that," he mentioned tersely. "I mean... He didn't really give a shit what I cared about. Just 'do this' and 'be that', th-the usual BS..." Eric cast a sidelong glance to his side, but he didn't look up.

"I-I-I mean, it-it was f-for the-for the best," he stammered, "He-he did e-everything right, and-and I-I-I always m-messed everything up." Chase's frown carved deeper with an unreadable emotion darkening his eyes.

"... Hey." He put his hand next to the human, wincing sympathetically when the little guy jolted in surprise. "You do not mess everything up. Screwing up once in a while is perfectly fine— it's those mistakes that let us grow and become better people— but letting your dad push you around and make all of the choices for you isn't gonna help you. It'll only make it worse. No one should make important decisions about you without your consent, and even then it should be in the interest of your well-being, of who you are and who you want to be." His eyes narrowed as a slight scowl crossed his lips. "And if someone tries to tell you who you want to be or who you should be, then fuck them. Be your own person, not somebody else's."

"... I-including-including M-Marvin?" Eric asked quietly. Chase softened and closed his eyes, letting out a deep sigh.

"That... That's a little bit different. Yeah, it's not fair to keep you here, but... he's just doing it just to make sure we stay safe."

"Safe?" Eric scrunched his face up, thinking. "But-but you-you're-you're g-giants, how-how could I- how could I p-possibly—?"

"I dunno, little dude." Chase slumped over Eric, chest giving out another quiet sigh. "But if the government or something found out about us, I'm pretty sure that would tear us apart from everything we know... We just have to stay hidden... We have to...."Eric blinked in his shadow and looked up at his overhanging thorax. It immediately reminded him just how small he was in comparison: sure, his legs were grand black walls that folded around him with deliberate attention, his arms massive pale pillars and his hands well-capable of leaving craters in the cold ground... Yet Eric found it strange. He didn't feel the same anxiety that he did around his dad— at least, not as severely— and he felt... Well, he wasn't quite sure what he felt. His muscles weren't so tense and jittery, and he didn't stammer as often as he had before. It had only been what, a week?, since he'd come here, and yet that same warmth that had drawn him to Chase had begun to embed itself in his chest. Around the others, he still felt awkward and timid, afraid he'd say the wrong thing and mess it up, but here and now he felt better. He was still afraid of "screwing up", but Chase was so much more forgiving than anybody Eric had ever met.

But guilt seeped back into his heart as he remembered why the other giants hadn't seen him in a few days, and why Chase was now spending all of his time with him instead of his brothers. And he didn't even know his name. Ashamed, Eric looked down and set the fruit snacks aside, his apetite gone.

"You done eating?" Chase asked, his interjecting tone more chipper. Eric nodded, keeping his head down as he bunched his arms together against his chest, his hands together on the cold stone floor. The giant's fingers caringly picked away the empty wrappers and set them aside. "You alright?" He queried. Eric sat there for a few seconds, and then he finally brought himself to look up into his looming and kind face. But he couldn't bring himself to look the giant straight in the eye. He felt horrible. Chase's expression flickered in alarm when he noticed the watery film gathering in Eric's eyes.

"I-I'm-I'm so s-sorry," the youth whimpered piteously.

"Sorry?" Chase moved back to adjust his seating position, laying on his side so he could get a better look at the small human. "Sorry for what?" He tilted his head, his hat almost coming off as he bade Eric for an answer. Eric opened his mouth, but no words came out as he instead began to shudder and grizzle nonsense. He quickly sought refuge in his foulard, bringing it up to his face as he hid behind it and burst into tears, leaving Chase to stare with a startled expression. He quickly recovered, and concern washed over him as he reached over and put his hand behind the trembling human.

"It's alright little dude, it's gonna be okay... just like before, alright? Just let it out... breathe in... And out... In... And out..." Eric sobbed into the handkerchief, twitching with bawls that only rose in volume at Chase's voice. Chase frowned, and then he sat up and scooted closer. Eric visibly panicked as the giant's hand curled around him, but his feet didn't leave the floor. He was gently held in place, enveloped by those forbearing digits that now wrapped around him like a hug. Eric hesitated, and then he quickly wiggled his arms out of the way before putting his face down against the warm skin. The yellow hanky hung over the top finger, but it was now ignored as Eric instead weeped into Chase's hand.

The heat felt really nice. Like if all of his brothers were hugging him at once. And their dogs... Now Eric's fingers ached to gently rake through soft fur, or some kind of akin stress relief. He settled for the next best thing and traced the swirls in Chase's hand, and he was relieved that the giant said nothing. His tears slowed as he enforced the nervous tic, following the fingerprints down to the very tips. He put his hand on the smooth surface of the index finger's nail, feeling along the smooth ridges before coming back up to the proximal phalanx.

He let out a soft sniffle and closed his eyes; his arms curled around the giant's top digit, shyly embracing the finger and pulling it against his chest. Still Chase did not deny him, keeping quiet as he watched the youth cling to his hand: he couldn't help but smile softly, Eric already seemed to be calming down and even enjoying the awkward hand-hug. The tears had stopped when Eric smiled lightly, basking in the soothing body heat, but then it dropped as his eyes suddenly snapped open, seeming to have come to a realization.

"O-oh, oh, I-I'm-I'm so-I'm so sorry, I-I—" He tried to stammer out an apology, but Chase shook his head with that reassuring smile.

"Hey, don't sweat it little dude." He lifted his thumb over Eric's head and smoothed the stray hairs that stuck up. Eric relaxed under the comforting strokes, wavering a little in apprehension as he practically melted. Chase's brow upturned: As far as he could tell, Eric was so afraid of being reprimanded for the simplest of things, and yet he seemed so deprived of touch. As he watched the little man rub away the drying tears that still stained his cheeks, Chase felt his heart throb with empathy.

He shifted his fingers down and gingerly scooped up Eric's legs, earning a small squeak as a brief spasm overtook the startled passenger. Eric kept his arms around the bro's index finger as he tucked his legs around the smallest one, blinking up at Chase with wide innocent eyes as he was lifted up to the same level as the giant's deltoids. He didn't get the chance to even stutter out a question before a gray wall rapidly approached, and the next thing Eric knew he was being gently smothered against Chase's chest. At first, he'd tensed, but then he slowly relaxed and buried his face in the giant's sternum.

Chase let out a quiet sigh of relief, not taking his eyes off the small form curled up behind his fingers. "... I'm not being a bad h̷̶͢o̕̕st, am I?" He murmured under his breath. Hell, it was like having the kids all over again; was it okay for E͘R̸̴R̷̵O̶͜R̴͞ to like one thing more than the other? Was this okay to eat? How could he get E͘R̸̴R̷̵O̶͜R̴͞ to get all of his vitamins in? Would doing this and that make him a bad role model?

_Apparently Stacy thought so._

With a heavy sigh, Chase closed his eyes, his fingers curling that extra millimeter for protective comfort. Eric wasn't his kid, but by golly if he wasn't going to keep an eye out for the boy then so help him—!

"Er... E-Eric." Chase's eyes snapped open. For a second there, he thought he'd hallucinated something, but then he noticed Eric staring shyly up at him.

"... What?" Eric's shoulders slightly bunched as he timidly fidgeted.

"M-my-my name, it's-it's Eric D-Derekson.." Chase stared down at the meek young man. There was a nervous light glimmering behind those large crooked glasses, but also something else, something that instilled in Chase Brody the same emotion: hope; a yearning to be accepted, to be himself.

A desire to belong.

A huge, warm smile overcame Chase. "It's nice to meet you, Eric."


	8. Strays

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After waking up from an unfortunate sleepwalk, Eric finds himself lost, but found by an unusual ally.

Eric wasn't sure what brought him out here. One moment he'd been dreaming, running away from raised voices and crying as his name was called, and the next... He was out of the cave.

And it was the middle of the night.

And it was raining again.

He'd come to and found himself standing in the middle of the forest, completely soaked with no recollection of getting up and walking out. How did he wind up here? Why didn't anyone stop him? And then the gears in his frightened mind began to spin out of control.

"O-oh no," he breathed, "No no no no no, I-I'm-I'm not suppose t-to be out here, oh no!" His heart hammered in his chest as he spun around, scanning desperately for some sort of landmark. But he was lost. He was completely, hopelessly lost, and he had no idea how to get back. He shuddered and rubbed his arms, his skin slick with rainwater and already soaked to the bone. _I've never seen it rain so much before!_ He moved under the closest tree and slumped onto its roots. The rain wasn't as bad, but the frantic leaves made the fewer drops fatter and harder. He winced as one hit him square on the head, and tears brimmed in his eyes as he let out a whimper. He brought his knees to his chest and put his chin in the little nook between the caps, his glasses pushing against his arms as he shook and took rapid breaths.

Normally, rain would have been a calming force. It was what comforted him often in the trailer, every night when he had to keep down the noise or else endure his father's anger. But this time it frightened him. He had no ceiling over his head, except for the tree limbs that arched overhead with their weak canopies of leaves. And now he was on the verge of a full-blown panic attack, and he didn't have Chase to calm him down.

Chase. Thinking of the kind giant made Eric cry harder. Would Chase be worried? Probably... Oh no, he would be so worried! Worried sick!

"I'm-I'm s-so-so s-sorry...!" Eric whimpered. His shoulders shook with another sob. He moved his arm and slapped his own wrist, and though it stung it didn't hit nearly hard enough. He whined and sat up, trying to catch his breath before he smacked his own cheek. It burned. He cried out and sobbed harder, his own vision even wetter than the deluge outside.

"I'm-I'm such a-a h-horrible, horrible p-person!" He blubbered miserably. "Wh-why-why can't I do a-any-anything, r-right!?" He bawled into his handkerchief, rocking himself frenetically as his thoughts looped on in a vicious cycle. His dissonance outmatched the tears of the clouds, though they did not shy away and continued to patter the forest grounds.

And then, interrupting his misery, Eric suddenly heard a different pattering, and then a meow. He looked up, and he was astonished to see a pure white cat, perched only a couple of meters away on the roots of another tree. He sniffled and rubbed his eyes, wiping his nose against his foulard before taking a better look. The feline was slightly wet, but its fur still flowed as it was suppose to, giving the boy a good idea of its petite legs and flourishing tail. It sat watching him, gazing with the left eye a crystal blue, and the other a bright green. Eric felt his breath leave him. It was... Beautiful.

His sniffed again and looked around. The cat didn't have a collar; and no one else seemed to be around. He looked back at the cat, and with a shaky breath he murmured, "A-are you lost, l-like me?" It blinked. One ear twitched under the weight of a water droplet, and then it rose up on its paws. Eric's breath seized as it sprang onto the forest floor and darted across, coming over to his tree. "W-wait, d-d-don't!" He cried out with a trembling hand, louder than he meant to. The cat halted, flinching back under his voice and flattening its ears warily. Eric whimpered, lowering his voice. "I-I'm-I'm sorry, I-I... Ohh, I'm-I'm so sorry, I-I-I just- If I-if I touch you, th-then-then you'll-you'll die. And-and I don't-I don't want you to die...!" His lips peeled back, and he slumped as he started bawling again. He only managed to whimper a few nonsensical noises before weeping into his foulard, once again crying and chastizing himself for being such a terrible person.

And then he felt wet fur tickle his arm. He peeked out. There was the snow-white cat, looking up at him as its shoulder brushed up against his elbow. Eric sniffed and moved his hands closer to his chest, but this only made room for the slender feline to leap into his lap. His breath hindered with a squeak, and he had immediately leaned back and gripped his chest even more tightly. The cat simply sat and swiped its cheek, grooming away the water that had plastered its pelt. Eric trembled, bewildered as tears continued to silently streak from behind his glasses. What was he suppose to do now?

The cat's heterochromic eyes flashed up at him. It meowed and reached out a paw, demandingly skimming his wrist. Eric's breath hitched. He slowly moved his hand. It trembled terribly as it moved through the air, slowly approaching the cat. The animal watched unblinkingly, seeming far less afraid of him than he was of it.

His fingers trembled just over its ears before slowly lowering. The cat's head came up as soon as he felt the fuzz of its ears. Eric let out a silent gasp, his eyes huge and his lips parted as the animal nuzzled his hand and unleashed a rumbling that vibrated through its whole body. Its fur felt so soft, even though it was wet. He slowly let his hand conjoin with the nudges, letting his fingers sink into the fluffy pelt. As he rubbed along its spine, the cat closed its eyes partially and continued to purr noisily, outdoing the loud pattering of the rain.

Eric felt his muscles slowly relax. His racing heart soothed, and his tears subsided as he stroked the pretty animal, and he fell into a comfortable quietness. He was soon sinking into a trance, wiping away the water from the stray's pelt and smoothing the fur back down to the way it was suppose to flow; he went from the withers to the base of the tail, coming back up to the head and scratching gently behind the ears; his thumb very gently squished the cheek, rubbing circles that made the cat close its eyes completely and purr even harder. He even scratched under the chin, and the cat tilted its head to completely expose its throat, tail swishing and black claws gently kneading as it vibrated happily.

Eric found himself smiling. He went on to caringly grooming the feathery tail, finding the fur here the bushiest of the whole pelt. "A turkish angora," he murmured to himself. "M-male, too... And a-a purebred? Those are really expensive..." He looked back at the kitty's content demeanor. His heart melted. "But-but who would leave you all alone in the forest...?" He rubbed its head, and the cat rubbed back, leaning into the touch. It then went a whole step further and laid down, cutling its spine right up against Eric's waist and putting its chin down on the edge of his thigh. Eric tensed a little, and then he relaxed again. He continued softly petting as he leaned back against the tree, letting out a sleepy yawn.

"... I bet you're a whole lot less lost than I am," he murmured, "You know what you are, who you are, what you like to do and what to not do. Me? ... I-I'm useless. All-all I do is take up o-other peoples' time and-and space... first, it-it was my family. Then-then just my dad... And now these-these really nice people who-who took me in. I-I mean, sure, I-I'm not suppose to ever leave, but..." Eric closed his eyes and let out a soft sigh. "But that's because they don't want me to get hurt... I-I think, at least. And they're the-the nicest people I've ever met." Eric had stopped petting and let his hand go limp on the cat's belly. The purring had subsided, and the tom was looking up at the boy with pricked ears.

He let out a small sigh, frowning sadly. "I-I don't know... M-maybe I'm being too needy... I-I think I'm just a-a burden on them, like-like I am to-to everyone else..." The cat mrowed and headbutted Eric's stomach. He blinked down at the lithe animal and smiled thinly. "I-I guess you can stay as-as long as you want. I-I won't mind if you leave when the rain stops." The cat seemed alright with this. It settled down against his thin abdomen and tucked its hindlegs, closing its eyes. Eric kept petting it for a little while longer, kept warm by the bundle of fur's company, and before he knew it he dozed off feeling safe and companied.

 

 

 

When Eric came to, it was to the vibrations of footsteps, and the warm sensation of huge fingers scooping up his slumbering body. He peeked through the sleepy film in his eyes and noted that the rain had stopped, and the cat was gone. He felt a little sad, but he was glad to also see that it wasn't exploded or lying around in pieces in any kind of death. He let out a soft murmur and closed his eyes as he was lifted from the roots of the tree, and hearing Chase's voice made him feel both relieved and guilty.

"I found him! He fell asleep over here."

"In the rain!? Jeysus, he must be freezin' his balls off!" Eric felt himself be wrapped up in a cocoon of fabric and warm skin, hugged against the giant's chest and away from the damp forest.

"He was under a tree, but I have no idea how he got so far out here."

"Well let's get him back as soon as possible, doc's gonna wanna check him for hypothermia. Who knows how long he was out here!" In the gentle sways of Chase's steps, Eric felt his mind drift. He wavered out of consciousness, coming to when a german accent suddenly cut through his sleep.

"Ah, you found him, good."

"Can you check him for hypothermia?"

"Of course I can. Set him down here. Robbie made a vittle nest for him." He felt himself be placed carefully in a sea of soft cloth. His hair was swept out of his lashes, but he was too sleepy still to even try opening his eyes. Colder fingers hovered just over his lips to check his breathing, and then one pressed on his chest.

"It iz a possibility. His heart iz beating regularly, but if he fell asleep zen zhat could be very bad." A completely cold touch ruffled his hair, only to be gently pushed away. "Not right now, Robbie, can you do me a favor and get him another blanket instead, please?" A gurgle, and shuffling footsteps set off obediently.

"I mean, he-he's not shivering, but...—"

"Sometimes vhen you are deep into ze symptoms, you lose ze energy to keep shaking. Did you at least hold him against your chest vhen you carried him back?"

"Well, yeah?"

"Good. I vant you to keep doing zhat vhen Robbie gets back." A few seconds later, and more fabric cascaded all around him. It felt really nice... And then he was picked up again, and Eric felt Chase gently cuddling him. He tried to find the energy to bring up his voice and apologize, but all he could do was enjoy the body heat pulsing over him. He let out a little sigh and shifted just a tiny bit, leaning into the embrace. As he became aware of feeling returning to his limbs, he heard another pair of footsteps enter.

"I've checked all the way to the edge of town, and—" Marvin's voice halted when he saw the human all bundled up in Chase's arms. "Oh. I see my efforts were wasted then," the magician noted tartly.

"No, of course not Marv!" Jackie protested, "We were the ones flippin' out when you suggested to split up and divide the forest. And if ye hadn't woken Chase up, then we wouldn't have found him in time!" Chase nodded, anxiously agreeing. Still, the magician sighed and reached up to his ponytail, pulling the small bun out and ruffling his wet locks.

"Whatever, I'm just glad the excitement is over with. Jackie, will you help me instead then? I'm sure you're a bit too preoccupied, Chase, to assist me."

"Not at all!" Jackie bounded after Marvin. "Whaddya need?"

"Well, I need an assistant to help me test out a new spell I've been working on."

"Not to worry! Jackieboyman is on the case! ... As long as it doesn't involve turning me into a cactus again."

"Don't worry, Henrik's prickly enough, we don't need another cactus."

"I HEARD ZHAT!" Chase chuckled and shook his head. He looked back down at Eric and smiled softly at his peaceful expression, relieved that he was safe and sound. In the edge of his vision, JJ signed beside Robbie.

"[Is the little fellow going to be alright?]" He asked. Schneeplestein checked Eric's temperature and nodded.

"He vill be fine. He just needs to keep warm for a vittle vhile."

"Can I take him back to my room then?" 

"... Yes," the doctor decided, "But bring him back right away if anything happens, and keep a close eye on him." Chase nodded.

"Of course." He paused, and then added, "Thanks, doc." Henrik grunted.

"Don't thank me. Thank vhatever benevolent  _dísir_  are vatching over zhat boy."

 


	9. Cloudburst

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A really bad storm hits, and it's up to Chase to keep everybody safe and happy while they're grounded in the cave!

The deluge outside was pretty bad. Apparently there was a thunderstorm headed this way. The giants had prepared and done what they could, moving their supplies deeper into the cave and restocking on food. Eric was sitting— cowering— in a hole in the floor of the cave entrance he'd been given claim to as a temporary spot— something about making sure he wasn't stupid enough to go out by himself in the rain again... at least, that was Eric's best guess— which being in the opening chamber meant the wind could grasp at him and ruffle his hair and clothes. He tried to peek out, but he wasn't tall enough and could see nothing, only hear the pelting rain and the growling thunder as the storm roared louder and louder.

Then the wind shifted, and its angle berated Eric with delight as thunder cackled. He shivered and curled up at the bottom, trying to keep away and stay warm. He could just barely hear the giants' voices echoing distantly deeper in the earth, Marvin's most of all. Eric shivered and closed his eyes, wondering about his dad. Was he okay? Was he scared, like Eric was? Had he given up on his son by now?

"Oh shit!" There was a thunder of footsteps, startling Eric to open his eyes as Chase's looming face shadowed him. "I'm so sorry Eric, I thought you'd be out of the rain until we were done moving everything!" The giant reached in with his hand and carefully tilted it, pushing Eric halfway onto his fingers. Relieved, the human gratefully climbed on the rest of the way, curling up on his side and soaking up the emitting body heat as he was lifted out. "I should have accounted for the wind," Chase continued apologetically. As if to prove his point, a strong gale blasted them with raindrops, so much so that Eric almost fell if not for the fingers that curled around his body.

"Here, come on little dude." Chase cupped the damp human safely against his chest and hurried out of the reaches of the growing storm. As lightning flashed, enlarging his shadow and stretching it down the tunnel all the way to Henrik's office, Jackie came bounding up to meet him halfway.

"Is he okay?" Jackie asked over the howl of the deluge.

"He's fine! Just a little wet." They both hurried as far in as the cave system went, down to the storage chamber where the others were huddled up together. Schneeplestein had his coat over him like a blanket, which Robbie was stealing partially as he snuggled the doctor uncomfortably close, his head buried in his shoulder. JJ kept fiddling with his moustache and glancing upward, as if he expected the ceiling to cave in and a torrent of water to come rushing in like a great flood. Marvin was seated calmly amongst their most important supplies, thumbing silently through his dusty old book as he ignored the storm outside. He did look up however to watch Chase and Jackie come in.

"We're all good!" Jackie said cheerfully. He plopped down beside Robbie and JJ, and he crossed his legs and idly wiggled his feet. Both giants on either side of him jumped at a rumble of thunder, and JJ promptly clutched Jackie's arm whilst making broken gestures to express embarrassment. Jackie yelped before he let out a small laugh. "It's okay JJ, you got nothin' to apologize for!" He reassured. JJ gratefully scooted closer, poking the superhero's shoulder with his moustache in an appreciative nuzzle.

Chase kept his eyes on Eric as he sat beside Henrik. He caught a dry glance from the doctor, but he ignored it as he pulled his knees up close to his chest and kept his hands mostly cupped against his thorax. Eric's head poked from between his fingers, but then there was a crackle of thunder before a great boom barked through the tunnels, and he cried out and ducked back down into the safety of the giant's hands. Chase frowned and closed his fingers.

"It's okay little dude... You're okay. The storm can't hurt you. It's gonna have to get through us first." Eric huddled up in the small space, finding infinitely more comfort in the giant's warm hands than out there with the cold rain and stone and... Well, he could confess privately that he still had reservations about some of the other giants. Schneeplestein was rather scary, and Marvin... Who knew what went on in the magician's head?

Not to mention the one he had yet to see for himself, the "Anti" mystery that everyone pretended not to talk about.

Another boom of thunder struck the world, snarling so violently that there was a distinct vibration. Even Marvin winced slightly, and the others quailed uneasily as someone muffledly cried out in fright. Chase shifted his thumbs to peer at the source of the cry, seeing Eric curled up in a tight ball as he quivered in his hands. The thunder crackled again, as loud as a titan smashing their fists into the very core of the planet. Chase watched with empathy as Eric quietly cried out again with a flinch, putting his head under his arms in a feeble attempt to shield himself from the intangible threat.

"H-hey... It's okay—" When Chase tried to reassuringly rub his thumb along the human's spine, Eric cowered from the touch and curled up even more. Chase hesitated, and then he tried again. Eric flinched, but he had no where to go. A stifled whimper escaped his throat as Chase gently shushed him, rubbing his thumbpad up and down his tense back. The thunder rumbled outside, making Eric seize up again, but Chase calmly kept massaging the tightly knotted little muscles.

"The storm can't get us down here," Chase coaxed in a soft voice, "We're all okay."

"Unless zere iz a flood," Henrik suddenly muttered, "In vhich case nobody vill be around to pay my taxes." Eric let out a horrified noise, while Chase deadpanned at the doctor.

"What taxes?" Marvin let out a loud sigh and closed his book with an equally loud thud, making Eric jump again.

"If I recall, Schneeplestein, you still owe me for getting you out of that tree," the magician reminded.

"It vas a copse of tree branches! And I did not vant to rip my coat," the doctor protested.

"Oh yeah," Jackie piped up, "There was also that time ye ran away from a flock of geese. I wasted an hour of my life making those birds migrate early for ya."

"Zey ahr vicious animals! Zey rhyme with knees for a reason! To peck ze bones out of your legs!" Marvin rolled his eyes and flipped to a different chapter; Jackie shook his head, trying to come to a sensible conclusion as he ruffled his poofy bangs.

"Teeeechnically, geese and knees don't actually--"

"Silence!" Henrik adjusted his glasses with a bitchy determination. "I kill you."

"Go ahead! I've fought off loads of baddies, not even Ant--" JJ was quick to put his hand over Jackie's mouth, stopping the superhero from finishing his cocky sentence. Robbie growled uneasily, snuggling Henrik a little more tightly.

"[Are you trying to summon him?]" JJ signed with neurotic hands.

"No," Jackie sighed, pouting a little. Chase sighed, having moved Eric against his breastbone. He could still feel the little guy trembling, his little heart racing as he coldly sweated. The bro frowned, racking his own unsettled noggin for a way to calm down Eric— and to distract the others.

"... Hey guys, I've got an idea!" He suggested with sudden enthusiasm. The others all looked over curiously, and even Eric faltered in his trembling. Encouraged by the attention, Chase reached over to the nearest supply crate and pulled out a handful of his teabags. "Trick shots!" He declared.

"Nein!!!"

"[Trick shots? Are you maudlin again, or vandyking your way through another katzenjammer? I thought we got rid of all the nippitaty!]" Simply put, JJ looked so surprised and yet so not; Robbie was dozing lightly against Schneep's shoulder, frowning and snuggling the doctor's arm even tighter with every grumble from the storm.

"Chaaase, noooo!" Jackie whined, "I'm so bad at aiming!"

"Really, Chase?" The magician regarded him over the faded lip of the book's cover. "You want to pop-shot your way through a tempestuous storm, with the supplies that are crucial to our survival, and out of all the times to--" His cynicism faltered, his frown slacking with realization. His eyes flickered momentarily over the bro's occupied hand, and then he slowly nodded. "Excellent idea." His book snapped shut, releasing a puff of dust that made the magician immediately cough as he waved it away. Chase blinked. So did the others as they stared at the masked giant with surprise.

"R-really? I mean—" he quickly recovered himself, putting on that big grin, "— I mean of course it is! I just- I didn't expect you of all people to agree— n-no offense, Marv." Marvin inclined his head in a conceding bob.

"None taken," he replied coolly.

"Wh-wh-what are... Tri-trick shots...?" Chase beamed down at Eric. The young human had hesitated in his crying, currently only flinching as the thunder rumbled outside.

"Oh-ho-ho. You are gonna love it little dude!" He used the back of his pinkie to wipe away a tear he'd noticed dribbling down Eric's cheek; he shied away a little, but Chase definitely had his attention now. "Marv, if you will?" He removed his prized hat and tossed it like a frisbee; but before it could hit the ground, a green aura surrounded it, and it froze midair. Eric's eyes grew wide. He heard a pleased noise from Jackie as the superhero failed to contain his excitement.

Marvin's hand was outstretched and glowing the same color as he turned it, and the hat in conjunction turned upside down, exposing its ruby underside. He lowered his hand, and the hat gently rested on the floor in a bearing familiar to Eric. Jackie let out a little giggle and lightly clapped his hands.

"Never gets old!" He declared. Marvin ducked his head a little as he took an interest in the black polish on his nails, but Chase knew the magician was feeling lionized. He grinned and moved Eric to his left shoulder.

"See, the goal is to get the teabag in the hat..." As Chase explained the basic rules, Jackie was loading up on ammunition. Henrik tried to decline, but he quickly found himself with a handful of teabags, while Marvin was sweeping away any stray dust so that the failed shots would be reusable for safe consumption. It was a simple concept, yet Chase spoke with such enthusiasm that even Eric was perking up a little with nervous eager.

"Jackie, you wanna go first and demonstrate?" The superhero beamed.

"Hell yeah, watch this!" Jackie wound up and tossed— the bag missed by a mile.

"Ha!" Henrik scoffed, "You vere suppose to hit ze hat, not ze vall!"

"Oh yeah?" With a sly grin, Jackie chucked another teabag and hit the doctor square on the forehead. He let out an overly dramatic scream as he bowled over, leaving Robbie very puzzled and Jackie guffawing while Schneeplestein rolled on the floor.

"Dah, my beautiful face!!! How dare you!?!?"

"Hey, I didn't hitcha in the specs doc!"

"As amusing as it is to watch Schneep squirm, I do believe hitting your teammates is against the rules."

"Yer right Marv. Try the hat again, Jackie."

"Aww, fine. But teasing my friends is part of my duty as a superhero, keeps 'em on their toes." The second toss was a little closer, but it still rebounded off the wall— this time almost hitting JJ. Luckily for them, the mute had nimble hands, and once shock had worn off he passed the bruised bag back to its rightful owner.

"... Maybe somebody else take a shot," Jackie decided. The others chuckled in agreement.

"Eric, you wanna try now?" Eric winced at a rumble of thunder and shrugged uneasily. He didn't miss Jackie's surprised echo of "Eric? That's his name?" followed by the doctor's muttered "Apparently"; he flushed red and wrung his foulard.

"I... I-I mean- I-I guess-I guess so?" He peeked over Chase's hand. It was a long drop, even with the giant sitting, and the hat was so far away... How would he even toss a teabag?

"Come on, we can do it together— teamwork!" Chase was smiling encouragingly as he handed a bag over to the little human. Eric immediately almost dropped it, but he managed to keep his arms around his ammunition. Though he let out a breathless grunt as he fought to maintain his grip.

"Come on Eric!" Jackie had recovered and was now cheering in a low voice. "You've got this!" He whisper-shouted. JJ offered a double thumbs up with a bright smile, and even Robbie was paying attention. Eric began to sweat nervously as Chase shifted closer to the hat.

"Here, to make it fair for ya." He held his hand a reasonable distance above the hat. Eric peeked between the pale trunks of his fingers: the familiar ruby insides of the snapback stared up at him, geometric pattern bestowing the same calming sentiment as each time he had been placed under its roof of comfort. With a nervous swallow, Eric reminded himself to breathe, like Chase always did, and then he summoned what strength he had and heaved the tea bag. It fell... And it landed right next to the cap. Eric deflated.

"Oh," he sighed, not expecting any different.

"That's okay!" Chase, to Eric's confounded relief, only smiled and picked it up. "You'll get it, little dude, I believe in you!" The young man turned red as he took the teabag— he was getting that warm sick feeling again— and peered down at the long drop below. The hat sat there, waiting with its gaping maw, eager to catch his ammunition. Eric shivered nervously, took a breath, and then he threw it.

It landed on the rim. The cap wobbled as the bag fell inside, landing in its ruby embrace. Eric barely had enough time to process the success before everything went blurry, as Chase was jumping to his feet and cheering.

"OHHHHH!!! OHHHHHHH!" He whooped, doing a couple of small hops as he held a dizzy Eric to his chest. "You did it!!!!!" He shouted ecstatically, while the others laughed and even clapped a little. The shock wore off, and Eric found himself giggling as Chase spun him around.

"I-I, I did! I did it!" He gasped, then he groaned and buried his face in the giant's shirt. "Ohh... Dizzy...!"

"Oop, sorry!" Chase settled down and smiled at little Eric. "But ya did it! And on the second try too!"

"I-I missed the-the first though..."

"That's okay! What matters is that you made it in— it takes me sixteen tries usually!"

"I mean, ye also did way better than me," Jackie chipped in, and then after a second he added with a soft smile, "Eric." Eric flushed red and cast his eyes down, still finding it a little weird to hear his name on any tongue other than Derek's...

"Vell, you did not assult me vith a tea bag, so zhat is something," Henrik grumbled, shooting Jackie a look. The superhero only snickered.

"Don't be so mordacious, doc~!"

"I do not need your sass, Jackie!!!"

"Yer all better at it than me," Chase chuckled. Eric frowned.

"N-no, I-I don't think that's true...!"

"Really? Watch this." Chase moved back until he was a good distance from the hat again; picking up a tea bag he aimed and then tossed, quickly turning his head away in expected resignation. But as Eric watched the teabag sail through the air, it's path of flight suddenly jerked, and it shot out of orbit and went straight into the cap.

The others exclaimed in shock. "Chase, ya made it!" Jackie cheered. Chase looked up and blinked in surprise.

"I... I did? ... I-I mean, heck yeah, I did!" The giant perked up as his cheeky grin found its way back over his face. "And I didn't even look!" He crowed playfully. They laughed and clammored humorously, but a glint of green caught Eric's eye. He peeked past Chase's thumb and spotted the last of fading magic around Marvin's hand, which was tucked behind his cloak. The human tensed nervously when those veiled ice-blue eyes landed on him, and the magician's mouth curled slightly around the edges before he subtly put a finger to his lips. Eric blinked and looked at the others: no one else seemed to have noticed, and Chase looked so happy...

The magician was already turning away and going back to his book. Eric decided to abide by the little secret, and so he smiled a little and sat back, listening to Chase chatter. He closed his eyes and let out a little sigh, his worries about the storm fading like the clouds aboveground.

Maybe... If he messed up with his dad... Then maybe, just maybe...

This could be his second try. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyo! Just wanted to say real quick that I finally made a discord server. If you're looking for a chill place to mingle, roleplay, theorize and more with fellow nerds, then come hang out! Or if you want to be messaged to know when I update, then come on in!
> 
> https://discord.gg/zmmn7RB


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